You’re not like everyone else, you’re exceptional; you did the hard work and took the risks. You demanded more from yourself and others, and your achievement is testament to that fact. But ask yourself, when you walk into that boardroom, or business meeting, do you still feel the power and vigor you once had? In today’s economic environment, competition for that job, contract, or new account is becoming increasingly more intense. Let’s face it, whether business or pleasure, if you can’t seize the opportunity, your competition will. Now, more than ever, you need an edge.

The Cleveland Clinic's “Men's Health Advisor™” writes that, starting around age 40, a man's ability to produce testosterone begins to decline. This deficiency can result in decreased sex drive and sexual function, chronic fatigue, loss of muscle mass, depression, impaired concentration, and increased fat mass, which drives the risk for diabetes and heart disease. It can also lead to a loss of bone mass which increases your risk of fracture. When testosterone declines, antagonistic hormones, such as estrogen, increase causing a cascade of symptoms to arise in varying degrees. Traditionally regarded as a mid-life crisis, this hormonal decline is now recognized as Andropause, sometimes referred to as “Male Menopause.”

More and more studies published by the medical community confirm that declining testosterone levels contribute to a host of ailments and undesirable symptoms once thought to be a natural part of the aging process. If you’re suffering from a hormone deficiency, you may experience a decrease in endurance and stamina, a loss of concentration, and lack of energy. In other words, you lose your edge!

What’s more, a study in the February 2007 issue of Diabetes Care™ indicated that low testosterone may be a risk factor for Diabetes, and another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine™ even suggests that older men with lower testosterone levels have up to a 40% increase in mortality compared to those with higher levels.

If your testosterone has declined and you’re experiencing adverse effects, the remedy is testosterone replacement therapy. Anyone who watches Oprah, or Dr. Phil knows that hormone replacement therapy, once stigmatized by sports scandals, is now accepted as a viable, even popular treatment for these symptoms. Cleveland Clinic endocrinologist Dr. Adi Mehta MD says that, "When there's a clear cut testosterone deficiency, I think it's worthwhile treating it. If you're using therapeutic doses of testosterone, it's unlikely you're going to end up with deleterious effects." Restoring hormones to optimal levels has been shown to be effective in achieving and maintaining a more vibrant, youthful lifestyle; one that promotes optimal health, vitality, and cognitive function.

According to the report, “Vitamin D: A Neglected ‘Analgesic’ for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain,” from Pain Treatment Topics™, inadequate Vitamin D has been linked to a variety of painful symptoms, including joint and muscle aches, bone pain, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome, among others. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to the mood disturbances of chronic fatigue syndrome and seasonal affective disorder. A surprising majority of people in many parts of the world, including America, don’t get enough Vitamin D from sun exposure or the foods they eat. Why deficiencies are associated with pain in some people but not others is not always known.

According to Stewart B. Leavitt, MA, PhD, the editor of Pain Treatment Topics™ and author of the report, “Our examination of the research, including 22 clinical investigations of patients with various chronic pain and fatigue syndromes, found that these persons almost always had inadequate levels of Vitamin D. When sufficient Vitamin D was provided, the aches, pains, weakness, and related problems in most of them either vanished or were at least helped to a significant extent.”

Dr. Leavitt stresses that; Vitamin D should not be seen as a cure for all pain conditions, or a replacement for other pain treatments. “While further research would be helpful,” Leavitt says, “current best evidence indicates that recommending supplemental Vitamin D for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorders would do no harm and could do much good at little cost.”