It is likely that you have heard of the term ‘Andropause’ – the male version of Menopause, before. Although still a relatively new field, and often surrounded in controversy, Andropause, or Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TDS), is a something worth looking into.
Fact or Fiction?
Andropause, or TDS, describes the signs and symptoms associated with declining levels of male hormones (Testosterone) in the older man. Unlike menopause, ‘andropause’ is not recognized by some medical institutions, including the World Health Organization.
However, a growing number of medical professionals recognize the condition of testosterone deficiency in older men, and its associated symptoms and associated impacts on health.
- Andropause Therapy, Testosterone Therapy, Anti-Aging
- Bioidentical Hormones For Men
- Differences Between Andropause And Menopause
- HRT Therapy For Men
Symptoms, Health Consequences
The most common ways which Testosterone Deficiency present to me are erectile dysfunction, and decreased libido. Problems can span the whole spectrum, including an inability to maintain an erection, an erection which is not as hard as before, decreased libido and lack of early morning erections.
Other symptoms, such as low mood, irritability, insomnia, weight gain and lethargy are usually already present for some time, but unfortunately, these are often seen as being normal and part of aging. It is only when affected men are unable to perform in bed, when the alarm bells go off!
Testosterone deficiency has more far reaching implications. There is increasing evidence that TDS is associated with increased heart disease, in particular cardiovascular death (Testosterone deficiency syndrome and the heart:Eur Heart J (2010) 31(12): 1436-1437 April 17, 2010)