Israeli Study Finds 54% Testosterone Drop Over Five Decades

Researchers led by Prof. Hagai Levine at Hebrew University-Hadassah reported that average male testosterone levels fell 54% between 1972 and 2019 in a meta-analysis presented at ESHRE in London. The analysis combined six longitudinal studies from Israel, the U.S., Brazil, Finland and Denmark, covering 118,593 men, and found declines in each study with the drop accelerating after 2000. Levine said the trend was not statistical noise and tied part of the decline to obesity and metabolic syndrome, while calling for closer scrutiny of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, heat, sleep, activity and diet. Israeli public-health research again sets a global warning agenda, with prevention preferred over self-directed testosterone supplements that doctors caution can suppress sperm production.