What men should know about menopause
MANILA, Philippines - Fatigue, mood changes, low libido, erectile dysfunction, and weight gain. These are just some of the symptoms of male menopause or andropause.
“This is an emerging health concern,” says Dr. Quincy Raya, who has a master’s degree in andrology and men’s health. “In contrast to female menopause when there is an abrupt deficiency of the hormone estrogen, males suffer from a gradual decline in testosterone levels, usually beginning at the ages 35-40. And so it can happen that the symptoms also manifest gradually. These include erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, bad temper, fatigue, and reduced muscle strength. “One in 200 men has testosterone deficiency.”
Dr.Raya adds, “Like their female counterparts, men in andropause can also suffer from hot flashes, night sweats, muscle aches, osteoporosis, irritability, and depression.”
But the onset of andropause can also be hastened by underlying illnesses or obesity. Heart and lung disease, for example, have been shown to affect the production of testosterone. “One of the health concerns for men is “metabolic syndrome,” continues Dr. Raya. “A man with a beer belly is most likely to have high cholesterol and high blood sugar, as well as elevated blood pressure levels. In turn, this contributes to the risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart attack.”
She recommends that rather than attributing certain symptoms as “normal” consequences of aging, men should visit their physicians for a more thorough medical examination.
“Compared with women, Filipino men are less healthy and therefore do not enjoy as good a quality of life as they should,” Dr. Raya rues. She surmises that this, in part, is due to the fact that there is a sense of machismo in Filipino culture, causing men to brush away symptoms that they equate with weakness. But the discomfort from various symptoms does not merely result in “grumpy old man behavior.” It may signal more serious underlying conditions and lead to cardiovascular disease, strokes, cancer, and even death.
“There is a growing need for a greater understanding of men’s health concerns,” says Dr. Raya who represents the Asian Institute of Longevity Medicine (ALIM), a facility that is spearheading the establishment of the Men’s Health Society, Philippines. “We need to improve health outcomes and greater life expectancy in men, as well as provide better access to their care. We need them to be conscious about preventive healthcare so that they will have a better quality of life.” Because of this, ALIM is embarking on a campaign to encourage Filipino men aged 35 and above to be screened for conditions such as male menopause, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia (elevated cholesterol, triglyceride, and low density lipoprotein levels) and prostate enlargement.
“Sexual health plays a key role in a man’s sense of well-being. Women are important in men’s health,” Dr. Raya continues. She lists the most common concerns as: erectile dysfunction (which may occur due to medications,) health conditions such as diabetes, psychological or physical factors and poor lifestyle choices such as smoking, high alcohol intake, and a sedentary lifestyle; premature ejaculation; male infertility; and prostate enlargement.
“There is indication that nearly every man over 45 has some degree of enlargement of the prostate gland,” says Dr. Raya. “An enlarged prostate can put pressure on the urethra and cause difficulty in urination. In medical parlance, this is known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), which is not a cancerous condition. Neither does it cause cancer.”
On the other hand, prostate cancer is a malignant tumor that consists of cells from the prostate gland. Since the cancer grows slowly and may appear without symptoms, regular visits to the doctor will help in early diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Raya shares that the Asian Institute of Longevity Medicine offers Bio-identical Hormone Therapy (BHRT.) “Hormones play an important role in the aging process, so restoring and balancing hormones back to their optimum levels assists in resetting the hormonal clock.” She cites a report from the Boston University School of Medicine that in a study on healthy young men, and men in andropause, “it has been shown that testosterone treatment increased lean muscle mass and increased the levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin for both groups of men.”
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For more information, contact The Society of Men’s Health Philippines c/o Asian Institute of Longevity, 203 Liberty Plaza, 102 HV Dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City with telephone number 385-1111. Or log on to www.menshealth.org.ph.
