Why Testosterone Levels Are at an All-Time Low with Shalin Shah

About this episode

Leslie Heaney and Shalin Shah discuss the decline in testosterone levels and its implications for men's and women's health.

Testosterone levels in men have declined more than 25% over the last two decades. And most people — men and women alike — have no idea why, what it means, or what to do about it. In this episode, Leslie sits down with Shalin Shah, CEO of Marius Pharmaceuticals and one of the leading voices in the testosterone therapy space, to have the conversation that a lot of doctors still aren't having. Leslie brings her own experience — she's been on topical testosterone as part of her HRT protocol — and together they go deep on why T levels are dropping, how to know if yours are low, and what the treatment landscape actually looks like in 2026. They cover the difference between total and free testosterone and why the number your doctor shows you may be almost meaningless. They talk about the FDA panel that convened in December 2025, what was asked of regulators, and why the outcome could change how millions of people access care. They discuss why testosterone got classified as a controlled substance in 1990, the faulty studies that put cardiovascular and prostate cancer warnings on labels for decades, and what the landmark 2023 Traverse Study finally put to rest. They also talk about women…

People in this episode

Host: Leslie Heaney

Guest: Shalin Shah

Topics covered

• testosterone levels
• hormone therapy
• men's health
• women's health
• medical treatment
• healthcare access

Keywords

• testosterone
• hormone replacement therapy
• men's testosterone decline
• healthcare
• FDA regulations
• cardiovascular studies
• prostate cancer
• Traverse Study

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Marius Pharmaceuticals

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