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Andropause and the Benefits of Hormone Balance for Men
Andropause is the term applied to a reduction of certain hormones (testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone) in men with advancing age. Other names applied to this condition include “Symptomatic Late Onset Hypogonadism” (SLOH) and “Androgen Deficiency of the Aging Male” (ADAM). It is sometimes referred to as “male menopause”.
The term menopause is used to identify a condition in women in which the entire reproductive system shuts down and becomes inoperative, resulting in many physical and emotional changes. A low level or an imbalance of hormones in a woman’s body causes this physical state. Hormone imbalance is usually treated with some form of hormone replacement therapy.
Androgens (testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA], and androstendione) are important in stimulating tissue regeneration in both men and women. Testosterone aids the body, for both men and women, in maintaining:
· lean body mass
· high bone density
· elasticity of the skin
· strong sex drive
· cardiovascular health
DHEA appears to contribute to the body’s ability to maintain:
· high energy levels
· a healthy immune system
· resistance to depression
· good mental functioning
Hormone replacement therapy is a method of treatment in which a patient is given hormones to replace hormones missing from a patient’s body. Just as a woman’s body can fail to produce enough of the needed hormones, so can a man’s body fail to produce enough hormones. Usually this means testosterone or DHEA in the male.
More than 60 years ago the medical profession documented that there is a gradual decline in the level of testosterone with age in men. This reduction in testosterone level appears to also to relate to various symptomatic changes in the male which may include:
· loss of libido
· loss of energy
· erectile dysfunction
· reduction in muscle tone
· nervousness
· depression
· impaired memory
· inability to concentrate
· fatigue
· insomnia
· hot flushes
· sweating
Many of these symptoms are similar to female symptoms related to menopause. However, the male reproductive system does not shut down or become inoperative in most cases. While women generally enter menopause around 50 and lose the ability to have children, a few men have continued to father children when into their 90s. However, there is some evidence indicating a higher level of congenital problems occurs in children conceived with older fathers.
Whatever the name of this condition in men, the symptoms do exist and can affect quality of life for men, just as menopause does for women. Appropriate hormone therapy can reduce or eliminate symptoms.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) offer hormones which are chemically identical to the hormones produced by the human body. BHRT is the safest method of replacing hormones today. For many years, HRT has been offered to women and men as a hormone in synthetic form; a hormone which does not match the chemical structure of the human hormone. In many studies, synthetic hormones have been proven to have negative side effects. For women, the synthetic hormones, estrogen and progesterone, can cause the development of blood clots and and potentially increases the risk of breast cancer. For men, the synthetic hormone testosterone, may result in the overproduction of red blood cells which can lead to a stroke and the synthetic oral forms of testosterone can be toxic to the liver. Many professionals in the anti-aging field are convinced that problems with synthetic hormones used in HRT result from a different chemical structure than what is produced naturally in the human body. There have been many studies done proving bioidentical hormones to be safe with virtually no side effects.
So what is the process involved in BHRT? First it is necessary to test the patient to determine what the levels of various hormones are in the body. Tests normally include current levels of:
· total testosterone and free testosterone
· estradiol
· thyroid stimulating hormone
· prostate specific antigen
A hormone formulation, tailored to the specific patient and his or her individual needs can then be developed. This will include the specific hormones to be provided and the dosage level of each hormone based upon the laboratory analysis, severity of symptoms, age, gender and body size.
Various methods are available for the delivery of the tailored formulation to the patient. These include:
· pills
· creams
· injections
· pellets inserted under the skin
While any form of BHRT is a step in the right direction when your hormones are imbalanced, certain methods may work better for you than others. What works for you today, may need to be modified for you in the future.
Bioidentical hormone replacement pellet therapy is the most advanced and progressive approach to the relief of andropause. Pellet therapy offers around-the-clock hormone release based on what each individual body needs. If a man is exercising and needs more hormones released to work-out optimally, blood flow will increase over the pellets and release more of the hormones necessary. Similarly, when resting, the blood flow slows over the pellets, releasing less of the hormones. Pellet therapy is as close as it comes to replicating how the body releases it’s own hormones.
Hormone pellets are about the size of granules of rice. A minor surgical procedure, which takes only a few minutes, is used to insert the pellets under the skin on the buttocks, or bikini area. Only a band-aid is necessary to cover the incision and the hormone replacement pellets last for 3 to 6 months.
The hormone replacement pellet method has several advantages. First, you don’t have to remember to do anything – take pills, apply creams or change skin patches. This method is also more efficient in delivering the lowest dose of hormones to your body. Because of this efficient delivery the dosage level required using pellets is lower than with other methods. And you can’t lose your medicine or forget to take it on a trip, which can cause fluctuations with your hormones.
For patients who prefer a more conventional treatment form the formulations can be made available in the form of pills or creams. However, these treatments normally must be used twice a day. They also require higher total dosages and the level of hormones in the blood varies more than using the pellet method
You don’t have to simply live and suffer with the symptoms that will develop as we age. Treatment options are available that will relieve your symptoms, improve your health, and greatly improve your quality of life. Find a qualified physician practicing BHRT and discover there is a better life beyond the symptoms of andropause.
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