The term is sometimes used to describe the changes in men physically and mentally in middle age. Testosterone levels, the main male sex hormone, in the bloodstream in men decline slowly and steadily after reaching their peak in the early 1920s. By age 75, testosterone typically reaches halfway through age 25. Although testosterone is not yet sufficient to maintain masculinity, some of the physical changes in middle-aged men are: muscle conversion to fat, redistribution of body fat, and sometimes decreased energy and libido (libido). Some Men Reduce Clinical Depression, Bone Loss, Erectile Dysfunction, and Other Testosterone Symptoms Some researchers believe that lower testosterone levels increase the risk of heart attack as an older man.
Male menopause means a gradual decline in the male sex hormone (testosterone), which begins in middle age. Male menopause is called “late hypogonadism” in medical terms.
Menopausal symptoms in men
– Begin to gain weight.
– Their muscle mass decreases.
– Feel depressed.
– Have trouble sleeping.
– Feel weak.
– They suffer from impotence.
– Decreased sexual desire
Erectile dysfunction
Inability to participate in strenuous physical activity such as running, lifting heavy objects or participating in strenuous exercise.
– Inability to walk more than one kilometer
Inability to bend, kneel or bend
– Reduce energy
Feeling sad
– Fatigue
Menopause and testosterone levels
Whether or not these changes are directly related to a decrease in testosterone levels has been seriously debated.
Some doctors believe that a decrease in testosterone should be compensated by testosterone replacement therapy.
Naturally, testosterone production in men decreases with age.
Testosterone therapy is becoming increasingly popular these days, but it can have serious side effects such as an increased risk of prostate cancer, heart attack and stroke, especially in older men.
Many middle-aged men with normal testosterone levels experience decreased libido, depression, or fatigue due to a number of lifestyle or health factors (such as job loss, marital dissatisfaction, or obesity, etc.). These factors are not directly related to testosterone.
Low testosterone levels in the elderly do not necessarily mean menopause.
Symptoms of low testosterone in the body include headache, decreased vision, short stature due to osteoporosis and anemia.
Factors affecting menopause in men
– Increasing age (from 50 years old onwards)
Decreased testosterone levels
– Doing endurance sports
– Stress
Depression
Testosterone secretion in people living at high altitudes is much lower than in coastal residents.
Vegetarians have a higher secretion of a hormone called SHBG, which can reduce the amount of testosterone available.
Decreased testosterone
In men, the hypothalamus and pituitary glands are responsible for controlling testosterone secretion.
The hypothalamus secretes a hormone called GnRH to help the pituitary gland release a hormone called LH, which affects specific testicular cells (Leydig cells).
Signs of low testosterone in men are not very noticeable, because it is affected by auxiliary mechanisms such as the production of androgen hormones by the adrenal glands.
When testosterone secretion decreases, the body converts some of the testosterone precursor hormone to testosterone.
Symptoms of low testosterone in the body include headache, decreased vision, short stature due to osteoporosis and anemia.
Hormone Therapy
Doctors inject testosterone intramuscularly or subcutaneously.
In men whose bodies do not produce enough testosterone, taking this hormone can be beneficial and can affect their muscle mass, morale and sleep.
But injections of this hormone do not have much effect on sexual desire and physical strength.
Alternative hormone therapy in men can also have risks.
The doctor should monitor the prostate and hemoglobin levels in the men being treated.
Factors that reduce testosterone secretion
1- Stress: Stress has a destructive effect on the function of the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, which are the centers of testosterone control. Stress also lowers LH (the hormone that stimulates testosterone secretion in testicular cells) and reduces the overall secretion of this hormone in the body.
Lack of sleep: Lack of sleep also affects the amount of secreted testosterone in the body. Research by researchers at the University of Chicago on 12 healthy men aged 64 to 74 years has shown that there is a direct relationship between nighttime sleep and daily testosterone secretion.
Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: People with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, both of whom are obese or have high blood pressure, produce less testosterone than others.
When women go through menopause, they lose fertility, while menopausal men still have that ability.
Depression: Testosterone levels in people with depression are lower than in healthy people. Interestingly, testosterone consumption in young and old people eliminates depression.
Alcohol: Alcohol consumption has a destructive effect on the glands that control and secrete testosterone such as the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and testicles and can reduce their sexual ability and infertility. Alcohol affects testicular Leydig cells, which secrete testosterone, and can reduce testosterone secretion, resulting in decreased libido.
6. Pesticides: The chemicals in some pesticides can disrupt the secretion of hormones. Men who work with some pesticides have lower blood testosterone levels than other men.
Complications of menopause in men
The prostate gland in men is the most vulnerable organ of the body against diseases.
All men are exposed to three major diseases of this gland:
Prostatitis or inflammation of the prostate
Benign prostate enlargement
– Prostate Cancer
Menopausal differences and similarities between men and women
Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 65. But in men over the age of 35, andropause can occur at any time.
In women, the changes are faster and the symptoms are more obvious, and in men the symptoms are more gradual and milder.
When women go through menopause, they lose the ability to reproduce, while menopausal men still have this ability.
Source- http://www.tebyan.net
