Male MenopauseKristi Runyan writes this article called "Male Menopause" for the Live Right Now online magazine, dated Friday March 26, 2010. She writes that testosterone levels in men gradually decline after their 20th birthday at a rate of about 1 percent. Many men don't even know their hormone levels are changing. She writes, "Yet, the loss of male hormones can still produce symptoms, such as low sexual desire or function, mood changes, decrease in energy, sleep problems, increase in body fat, decreased bone and muscle mass and cognitive changes. Some people refer to this slow decline in male hormones as the “male menopause” or “andropause.” Doctors used to believe that testosterone accounted for the higher rates of chronic health problems, like heart disease, in men. However, researchers have found that many conditions are linked to low levels of testosterone. Studies show men with low testosterone levels have higher rates of falls, hip fractures, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and early death." Hormone Replacement Therapy for men is a controversial subject because we don't yet know all the risks involved. Also, many people believe the so-called male menopause symptoms are a normal part of aging, rather than a condition that needs to be fixed. This is a discussion that is being raised about hormone replacement therapy in women as well. As always, check with your health care provider and discuss your individual risks and benefits. Conclusion This article is not only informative, but it also gives links to other websites about this topic that you might want to look at if you're seriously considerting male HRT. Is male menopause a myth? Here is another article that was published for the BBC News on June 17, 2010 Just when we were about to call the whole andropause issue a myth, 3,300 men from across Europe were assessed for menopausal symptoms in the New England Journal Study. They were assessed for issues similar to what women experience when they go through menopause such as moodiness, sleep disorders, sexual issues, depression etc. The study found that 2% of the men fit the criteria for menopause male version. However, this doesn't open the gates for testosterone therapy because of the potential risk for prostate cancer. "We need to be very cautious about the prescribing of testosterone therapy." Dr Ian Banks
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