"Male menopause" and low testosterone: don't believe the ads!
What you Need to Know about Low TestosteroneDmitry Tselikov, Compulenta
In certain circles, it has become fashionable to use the term "menopause" in relation to men. How correct is this?
In the usual sense, this concept means that around the middle of life a woman lost her reproductive ability and her hormonal background changed dramatically in a certain way. From this point of view, menopause is unusual for the male body. Nevertheless, the stronger sex is experiencing a slow but steady decrease in testosterone concentration, especially after the half-century anniversary. If such a drop is significant (and if it leads to adverse consequences), they talk about andropause, or age-related hypogonadism, although the criteria for this condition are debatable.
Pharmaceutical companies and "anti-aging" clinics are very fond of talking about "male menopause", offering appropriate drugs and procedures. Judging by the advertising, almost every old man should take testosterone in order to get rid of the symptoms of andropause and regain youthful enthusiasm.
The staff of the University of California at Berkeley (USA) got tired of looking at this mess, and they released a memo, which we will tell you now.
Testosterone is the male equivalent of estrogen: these hormones control many aspects of sexuality, and are also responsible for secondary sexual characteristics (facial hair, degree of musculature development, voice pitch). No one knows what role a decrease in testosterone (and other hormones) plays in the aging process, but there are a few things that everyone would like to know about.
1. Everyone's testosterone level is different, it changes even in the blood of one person during the day. Therefore, until now, no one has been able to determine its optimal concentration for a particular age.
2. The rate of decrease in testosterone with age also varies – from 5 to 35%. It all depends on how to measure: the total level, only free hormone or bioavailable.
3. Low testosterone itself is not a problem if it is not accompanied by undesirable symptoms. For example, last year's study, which involved three thousand Europeans aged 40 to 79 years, showed that only 3% of men in their seventh decade and 5% in their eighth have hypogonadism, that is, low testosterone with the following symptoms: poor morning erection, low sexual desire and erectile dysfunction.
4. In some men, low testosterone leads not only to problems in bed, but also to loss of muscle and bone mass, fatigue, etc. Therefore, hormone therapy is sometimes prescribed to elderly men, although it does not always benefit from it, because these symptoms can have a number of completely different reasons. Once again: low testosterone becomes a source of problems very rarely.
5. Low testosterone is often associated with diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure. In fact, it is almost never possible to categorically state that the reason for the listed problems is precisely this and that taking the hormone will save you from them.
6. Testosterone intake is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular diseases, as well as liver problems, sleep apnea, breast growth and prostate enlargement. But, as in the case of benefits, information about risks has not yet been properly confirmed. No large-scale long-term studies have been conducted in this regard.
Testosterone intake is primarily needed by patients with certain hereditary ailments, as well as HIV-infected people and people with liver diseases. In addition, some medications lead to a sharp drop in testosterone.
And remember: low testosterone does not steal masculine strength. Many elderly people, despite the decrease in hormonal levels, are in excellent physical shape, have sexual desire and may even have children. Hormonal background is just one of the variables in a complex equation. If libido makes you a pen, testosterone may have absolutely nothing to do with it.
Prepared based on the materials of PhysOrg: Male menopause: The lowdown on 'low T'.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru14.04.2011