MEN'S HEALTH ISSUES

Whether it is referred to as a condition or phenomenon, most men begin to experience changes in their bodies somewhere between the ages of 30 and 55. Formerly attributed to "growing old", a great deal of data now indicates that, as it is for women, hormone imbalance is at the root of the male menopause - the Andropause. Unlike those of the female undergoing menopause, the symptoms of Andropause tend to come on slowly and gradually, creeping up over a period as long as twenty years. Hardly noticeable at first, but eventually cutting to the very core of the male, when he realizes that he has lost much of his sexual hunger, he's lost his "edge", and he finds it harder to keep sharp and focused. And, if left untreated, the Andropause can have even more severe long-term consequences than those of the female change of life.

• Fatigue
• Poor sleep quality or insomnia
• Body fat gain, particularly abdominal weight gain
• Lean muscle decline
• Decreased libido
• Possible erectile dysfunction (E.D) - reduced potency and/or penile size, decreased ejaculatory force and volume
• Nervousness, anxiety and irritability
• Aches and pains
• Bone deterioration
• Loss of hair
• Wrinkling and drying of the skin
• Memory lapses
• Depression
• Reduced motivation/apathy
  

The mental and emotional changes can also include a loss of drive at play and at work; questioning ones values, accomplishments, goals and directions in life, increased negativity, and loss of "focus" and concentration.

The physical changes can also include loss of strength (if left untreated, this can lead to gradual muscle atrophy); loss of energy (getting tired early in the evening, falling asleep in front of the TV); stiffness and aching of muscles and joints.

While life's stresses can often exacerbate these physical and emotional changes, they are no longer universally accepted as the cause of the male vitality and virility. In other words, the signs and symptoms of the male menopause need not be accepted as inevitable parts of the aging process. A large body of data collected since the first study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (1944;126[8]:472-477], indicate a direct connection between the variety of symptoms we have described and male hormone imbalance.

Simply stated, the imbalance is one of too little free testosterone and too much estrogen; but this is far from a simple matter; and, it needs to be noted, that testosterone is much more than a sex hormone. With receptor cites in many organs in the body, and, in fact throughout the body, testosterone is critical in maintaining healthy bone density, lean muscle, red blood cell production, and safeguard the immune system, and it is vital for proper cardiac output and neurological function. There is also a body of literature that support the thesis that testosterone helps control blood sugar and regulates proper cholesterol levels.

As men age, their testosterone is increasingly converted to estrogen. The most dangerously acute effect of too much estrogen and too little testosterone is the increased risk of heart attack or stoke. Why testosterone levels are low can be that the male simply has low testosterone production, resulting in switching off some of the normal activity of the testes. Secondly, a more complicated issue can be seen in the male who is found to have physiologically normal testosterone levels, but has excessively high estrogen (more accurately estradiol) levels. Estradiol is actually a vital component that is made from the testosterone in the cells of every male's body, but when there is too much estradiol, no matter what the level of testosterone, the man will suffer negative consequences. Furthermore, if the male is experiencing high estradiol levels, he is also producing more sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), a protein that binds to the testosterone. Since typically about 98% of the testosterone in the male blood stream is bound to proteins, leaving only approximately 1%-2.7% available for assimilation in the cells of the body, an increase in SHBG will reduce even further the amount of testosterone freely available to act on his cells.

There are a number of factors that can cause the testosterone-estrogen imbalance in men: Excess "aromatase" enzyme (the enzyme that converts testosterone into estradiol), impaired liver function (often caused by excessive alcohol or certain drug interactions), obesity (increasing aromatase enzymes), and zinc deficiency (zinc is a natural aromatase enzyme inhibitor). To complicate matters even more, there is a wide range of "normality" in the testosterone/estradiol reference range, requiring expert interpretation.

ALE&EC's Andropause Program

The good news is that male hormone imbalance is correctable and youthful hormone balance can be safely restored. The program begins with full blood tests to determine your hormone levels.

Your hormonal health plays a large part in determining your overall well being. Andropause and the symptoms that accompany it can be treated and can be treated successfully. You need not suffer the debilitating physical, emotional, and mental effects of male hormonal imbalance. And you and your loved ones need not suffer the consequences of your going through a mid-life crisis.

There is hope....