Issue Date: February 20, 2005
Men and hormone therapy
Do testosterone supplements make you a "superman" or a super mess?
The symptoms of "andropause," the male equivalent of menopause, can be treated with lifestyle changes.
|
In an effort to slow down the aging process, many men are turning to testosterone therapy. This has created a controversy in medical circles.
Most doctors have a bias against using testosterone for this purpose because of anabolic steroids. For several decades, athletes have used testosterone and its derivatives to enhance athletic performance. Various types of agents have been used, but the bottom line is always the same: Crank up the amount of male hormone in your body and you'll see increased muscle mass, strength and performance. What was always downplayed was the fact that abnormally high levels of testosterone also could bring increased heart disease risk, acne, baldness, sterility and abnormal aggression. Additionally, withdrawal from these agents has been associated with depression and even suicide.
So, when it comes to men and testosterone, what exactly do we know? For starters, we know testosterone levels tend to decline with age. Older men tend to have less muscle mass and strength, and a lower metabolism and libido. But can all these factors be reversed by adding testosterone? That answer is far from certain.
In recent years this over-40 decline in men -- the male equivalent of menopause -- has come to be known as "andropause." Men don't experience the radical shifts in hormones that menopausal women do. Andropause symptoms tend to be insidious, developing over years instead of months. But a lack of exercise, a lousy diet, smoking, too much alcohol, too little sleep and stressing out all produce the same problems as andropause. Some prescription and non-prescription drugs can affect those areas as well.
If you think you may be going through andropause, address those other things first: Get active. Eat right. Limit alcohol to absolutely no more than an average of one serving a day. If you smoke, quit. Reduce stress. You'll likely see a turnaround in many of the symptoms.
For some men, though, even those changes won't be enough. If that's you, talk to your doctor. If necessary, ask for a referral to a men's health clinic. For some, testosterone replacement therapy may be necessary.
Slowing down Father Time isn't as simple as popping a pill. As with most things in life, you have to work at it!
Contributing Editor Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is the medical director of the Wellness Program at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas.
|
