Doctor\u2019s orders: When it comes to longevity, DIY is a don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Peptides, GLP-1s and hormones have all become buzzy topics in the health and wellness world, with fans raving about personal transformations and biohacking wins.<\/p>\n
But just because you can buy something easily online doesn\u2019t mean you should. In fact, doctors find the do-it-yourself mentality particularly worrisome. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe most troubling trend is men trying to do longevity medicine without a physician,\u201d Dr. David Shusterman<\/a> told The Post.<\/p>\n Some men are taking a DIY approach to medication by getting all sorts of drugs without proper oversight. Siphosethu\/peopleimages.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cThey are ordering testosterone, peptides, erectile dysfunction medications, and GLP-1 weight-loss drugs online without a complete evaluation,\u201d said Shusterman, a board-certified urologist and founder of UroLongevity and Modern Urologist.<\/p>\n Living well for longer is a booming movement, with some estimates putting the market at $33 trillion<\/a>. While concierge medicine<\/a> services offer high tech, physician-led health monitoring and optimizing, some people looking to get in on it cheaply and easily often take a DIY approach.<\/p>\n Shusterman said men are accessing all sorts of medications for things like sexual health and muscle building without a doctor\u2019s oversight. In the gray market<\/a>, the medications may be of dubious purity, and clients are deciding on dosing themselves. <\/p>\n That can be unhelpful at best \u2014\u00a0and downright dangerous at worst.<\/p>\n \u201cI am very supportive of modern longevity medicine, but it has to be data-driven and medically supervised,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Shusterman\u2019s approach is \u201cnot random biohacking. It is advanced diagnostics, hormone optimization when appropriate, metabolic and weight medicine, cardiovascular risk detection, sexual wellness, prostate and bladder health \u2014 and longitudinal follow-up.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what people are getting into and why the DIY approach is more trouble than it\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n Gray market of peptides<\/p>\n Peptides are building blocks of proteins that act as a kind of \u201ckey\u201d to turn on biological processes<\/a> like repairing damage and reducing inflammation. GLP-1s like Ozempic are peptides that regulate blood sugar and signal fullness to the brain.<\/p>\n For now, peptides are strictly regulated by the FDA, with only certain ones approved for a narrow purpose and require prescriptions.<\/p>\n Peptides are sold online \u201cfor research purposes\u201d with no prescription needed. insta_photos \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n That may soon change. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his agency are looking to ease restrictions<\/a> allowing compounding pharmacies to produce a number of peptides, something usually reserved for when there\u2019s medication shortages.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, peptides are still widely sold without a prescription. Companies sell peptides under the guise of being purely for \u201cresearch\u201d and not for human use. This allows them to bypass purity standards.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a number of peptides on the market that aren\u2019t tested for human use, like the tissue repair peptide BPC-157, which some believe could accelerate tumor growth<\/a> in patients with cancer.<\/p>\n Using a DIY approach to peptides introduces a host of issues. Without a doctor, people rely on advice from others online on which to use, how to dose, and how to use the peptide.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all without professional oversight that would normally look out for interactions with other medications a patient might be on, or prior conditions they have. Plus, patients don\u2019t support to deal with side effects<\/a> or unintended consequences of the peptide.<\/p>\n Without doctor oversight, patients who experiment with peptides gamble with purity and dosing. georgerudy \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Testosterone and sexual health medication<\/p>\n Testosterone therapy, or TRT, is a common treatment for men who have age-related drops in testosterone. It can help improve sex drive, boost performance, increase muscle, drop fat, and stabilize energy and mood.<\/p>\n But recently, a younger crowd has been accessing testosterone to get a chiseled look. In some online circles, issues like not developing muscle mass quickly enough or simply \u201cnot looking masculine enough<\/a>\u201d are getting pinned on low testosterone.<\/p>\n As a result, more people are looking to get on TRT and anabolic steroids, which are\u00a0synthetic or modified testosterone<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the US, the medication is tightly controlled and require a prescription to get ahold of. To get a prescription, blood tests are required to show testosterone levels are low, and that TRT is actually needed.<\/p>\n Yet one study showed only 12% of men<\/a>\u00a0who have a testosterone prescription actually had low testosterone levels.<\/p>\n David Shusterman is a board-certified urologist. Courtesy of David Shusterman<\/p>\n Part of the reason is that it\u2019s easier than ever to get. Online services offer mail-in tests and telemedicine visits with a doctor. An estimated 11 million<\/a> are on the drug.<\/p>\n What bothers Schusterman, though, are those offering testosterone without a complete evaluation and longitudinal follow up. Without these, a patient could be putting themselves in a dangerous situation.<\/p>\n