Male Menopause: Can Men Go Through 'The Change' Too?

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It’s a topic that’s passed around the room like a hot potato: Male Menopause.

In recent years, there’s been a lot of discussion as to whether or not the male menopause exists in any real medical sense.

We know for sure that women go through definite physical changes in mid-life: Ovulation stops, hormone levels drop quickly and soon after women are unable to have children. Of course, this doesn’t apply to men.

Now it looks as if research has finally proved that the male menopause exists but it only affects 2 per cent of middle- aged men...

Male Menopause: What’s up doc?

Researchers from the Development and Regenerative Biomedicine Research Group at the University of Manchester, studied the testosterone levels of 3,369 men aged 40 to 79 from eight European centres. The men were also asked questions about their sexual, psychological, and physical health.

Three sexual symptoms - poor morning erection, low levels of sexual desire and erectile dysfunction were linked to low testosterone levels.

Depression, fatigue and an inability to perform sexual activity were also linked to low levels of the hormone.

However, other symptoms commonly cited as an indication that men are going through a "menopause" including changes in sleeping patterns, poor concentration, feeling worthless, and anxiety were found to have no link to low testosterone levels.

Unlike classical hypogonadism (a condition where the testes fail to work properly, affecting hormone levels), where similar symptoms were accompanied by a diagnosable condition, this is not the case with late-onset hypogonadism.

Male menopause or late-onset hypogonadism has also been linked to poor health and obesity.

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Male Menopause: Hormones and Men over 40

It’s clear that there is a lot more at play in determining exactly what causes the male menopause. While there is no refuting the fact that with age, a decline in testosterone levels will occur in virtually all men, there is no way of predicting who will experience symptoms severe enough to seek medical help.

Studies have also shown that the decline in testosterone can put men at risk of other health problems such as heart disease and bone weakness. Declining testosterone levels are linked to a decrease in sexual activity, muscle loss, and reduction in bone minerals. For some men more dramatic hormonal changes signal the presence of other diseases.

Professor Fred Wu, from the University of Manchester's school of biomedicine, who led the study, said that men who are dealing with age-related decline of testosterone are also prone to have a significant background of non-hormone- related complaints. He added that sexual symptoms were relatively common in ageing men - even those with normal testosterone levels. It is therefore important to specify the presence of all the sexual symptoms together with low testosterone, in order to accurately diagnose late-onset hypogonadism.

With regards to this and other previous studies, Dr Ian Banks, president of the Men's Health Forum, said "We need to be very cautious about the prescribing of testosterone therapy, and doctors need to balance the benefits against the risks... This research acknowledges it's a complex issue, and that caution is needed."

Male Menopause: Psychological impact

The term 'male menopause' is often used because so many men experience mid-life dissatisfaction and difficulties. Menopause is a word some people are using to express, amongst other things, unfulfilled desires and expectations, work dissatisfaction, the loss of passion in personal relationships and the loss of a positive body image as the ravages of time become painfully obvious.

So how can you tell if what you're experiencing really could signal the onset of male menopause?

Symptoms include:

Decreased Libido and a loss of sexual passion

Erectile dysfunction

Decreased bone and muscle mass

Depression, nervousness and anxiety

Hot flushes and sweats

Tiredness and fatigue

Lack of concentration and focus

Weight gain and inactivity

Sleep disturbances

Hormonal changes can change your life. If these changes are causing distress and affect your quality of life, discuss some form of treatment with your doctor or natural health practitioner.

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Sources:

‘Male menopause is 'rare' but it is not a myth’ published online 17.06.10, news.bbc.co.uk

‘Research Points to the Rising Symptoms of Male Menopause’ by Dr. KC Kelly, published online huliq.com

‘Oh boy, we've got women's troubles: Menopause, breast cancer, osteoporosis - thousands of men suffer from FEMALE ailments’ by Jo Waters, published online 22.10.10, dailymail.co.uk

‘NHS watchdog NICE calls for trans-fats ban in foods’ by Jane Dreaper, published online 21.06.10, news.bbc.co.uk