It might be written off as a joke or simply a made-up phenomenon but recent research has shown that it may in fact be a real stage of life that men go through. Researchers have now identified a specific stage in life when testosterone reduces, although unlike female menopause which affects all women, the health concerns associated with the so-called male menopause only affect around two percent of men.
This much-debated topic of male menopause (also called hypogonadism) has been researched and the findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers enlisted the help of 3,369 men aged between 40 and 79, who were from all over Europe. These men took part in the study by answering questions on their wellbeing in several areas, such as psychological, sexual and physical health.
At the same time, blood samples were collected from the men and analysed to determine their testosterone levels. A link was found between reporting of sexual problems and lower levels of testosterone. Sexual problems included erectile dysfunction, decreased sexual thoughts and decreased morning erections. Some other symptoms, such as fatigue, low mood levels and physical difficulties were only found to weakly relate to testosterone levels. The highest levels of ‘male menopause’ symptoms were found in men who had poor overall wellness and health and who were obese.
During the study, some symptoms such as anxiety, difficulty sleeping and poor concentration were not found to be linked to testosterone levels. It would appear, then, that these symptoms are related to some other health concern associated with age and is not a sex-specific disorder.
It does appear from the research that the male menopause exists in some form, but further research is required to ascertain exactly what symptoms can be attributed to this lowering of testosterone, and what can be done about it.
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