There is no male menopause?

An American endocrinologist called the male menopause a mythABC Magazine based on Web MD materials: Experts Call Male Menopause a Myth

Despite the fact that many experts are confident in the existence of male menopause – andropause – a period of life when the testosterone level in a man's blood decreases significantly, an endocrinologist from the University of Washington in Seattle, USA, is sure that the male menopause is only a myth. He made this statement at a conference in New York sponsored by the Endocrinological Society.

Bradley Anawalt explained: "When we talk about female menopause, we mean a persistent decrease in the level of estrogen in a woman's body for 3-5 years after the termination of ovulation. For men, the situation is completely different. On average, in men over 30 years of age, the level of testosterone in the body drops by 1 percent annually. However, this does not happen in all men and does not affect their fertility in any way." At the same time, Dr. Enewalt calls for an individual approach to each patient in the issue of prescribing testosterone replacement therapy to him. "Patients expect that this therapy will allow them to feel like an ardent young man again. However, we must remember that this is not a panacea," the endocrinologist stressed. – It is reliably known that for a certain category of men, hormone replacement therapy will be a very effective tool, but there is also a category of men who will not receive any benefit from treatment."

Dr. Enewalt suggests that doctors carefully consider each male patient and ask themselves - does he have symptoms of a lack of testosterone? The patient may complain of decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, feelings of dissatisfaction, loss of energy, general weakness, as well as increased bone fragility. Next, you need to back up your assumptions with a blood test for the content of the male sex hormone. There are subtleties here too: many men have low levels of total testosterone, but normal levels of so-called free testosterone, which is the active form of the hormone. Dr. Enewalt also warns men against self-medication with testosterone, which can be easily purchased online. Uncontrolled intake of the hormone can lead to an increase in cholesterol levels, the appearance of acne and prostatitis. Treatment can only be prescribed by an endocrinologist after a comprehensive examination. The expert also advises doctors to refrain from treating testosterone deficiency with chorionic gonadotropin – according to him, there are much more minuses than pluses in such treatment.

However, his colleague Jed Diamond, director of the MenAlive men's health program in Willits, California, author of the book "Menopause in Men", has a different opinion. He is sure that male menopause exists, it's just that the term itself is inaccurate. "Men don't have a menstrual cycle, so it can't stop and give menopause," Diamond explains. "But the fact that hormonal, physiological and physical changes begin to occur in the male body, as well as in the female, at a certain age is a fact."

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru
07.12.2011