Low Total Testosterone in Men Widespread, Linked to Chronic Disease

I've known a few guys who've found out they had low testosterone after many years of struggling under various other diagnoses.

One in particular made a pretty dramatic turnaround after beginning to receive supplemental testosterone. Over two or three years, he went from an obese borderline alcoholic to a tee-totaling body builder. When I knew him, he told basically every man he encountered his story, and urged them to get their testosterone checked ASAP.

The fast and loose reference point he told me for a general indicator of a good testosterone level was how many days per week a man wakes up with an erection. He said if it's not at least 5/7 days, you probably have low testosterone. I'm sure that's not universally true (for instance, I would expect that decreases with age -- he was around 40), but I always thought that was an interesting thing.

Of course, this is all anecdotal, and my buddy was not a doctor. This is not medical advice or anything approaching it, just a story I know about the subject. Always speak to a qualified medical professional before making any decisions about your health.