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Number Crunching In Andropause
Number Crunching In Andropause Andropause is a medical term for the male menopause that
many people are not familiar with. Indeed, there are many facets of andropause that are being understood and
disseminated at this moment; such is the rate of study on this subject. In an informative and benchmark study, Drs
Daniel E Federman and Geoffrey A Walford lay out some of the newest thinking on the subject. As the levels of
testosterone in a man start to drop around the age of thirty, it does so in tiny increments that may measure 1% a
year for the rest of his life.These falling numbers may not even be felt until a man reaches his fifties,
seventies, or not at all. Some men with significantly low levels of testosterone in their bodies feel no symptoms,
while others with similar levels feel it acutely.To add to the complexities of diagnosis, there are several
diseases whose symptoms are similar to testosterone deficiency: alcohol abuse, disorders of hormones other than
testosterone; liver, kidney and lung disease, heart failure, and certain other rare conditions that all need to be
ruled out before diagnosis can be sure. Understanding testosterone blood studies is another tricky matter.There is
active testosterone at work in blood and there is inactive testosterone. It is the low levels of active
testosterone that need to be taken into account, because that is the level that causes the symptoms of testosterone
deficiency.Still, physicians often order a test for total testosterone that, by definition, will not give them the
answers they are seeking. Next, the matter of what is a normal testosterone level adds more confusion.Testosterone
levels vary so widely among men of the same age, including the men without any symptoms of testosterone deficiency.
To make it even trickier, testosterone levels fluctuate throughout the day.As you can see, quantifying normal is
perplexing. However, this is not to say that symptoms due to testosterone deficiency cannot be treated; they
certainly can.If you are over fifty years old and have symptoms (loss of bone strength, muscle mass, weight gain,
decreased energy, loss of interest in sex, erectile dysfunction, irritability, depression, or sleep disorder) see
your physician.First your doctor should rule out other conditions causing your symptoms.When the doctor orders lab
tests, he should order blood levels of total testosterone and that the blood be taken in the morning, when
testosterone levels are at their highest.The tests should be repeated once more to ensure accuracy. Levels of 400
nanograms per deciliter and greater are not testosterone deficient, so the likelihood is that your symptoms are
coming from some other cause.Borderline levels, between 200ng/dl show you may be deficient: then it is time to test
your active testosterone level. And remember, the morning is the optimum time for your blood draw. Hormone
replacement therapy can benefit those with extremely low levels of total or active testosterone levels; with
borderline levels the evidence is less clear that any benefit will be achieved. Hopefully, all the number crunching
done today will lead to broader knowledge and safer and more useful treatment for all.
Male Menopause And Infidelity
The Toll Male Menopause Takes on Family
Male menopause is a condition that is not always understood by those who suffer from it or those close to them. The symptoms cause the sufferer to feel isolated and the often felt depression makes it difficult seek help. Men find it difficult to seek medical attention for issues that are obvious, the nature of male menopause having physiological, emotional and mental elements to it means that those who suffer are less likely to seek the help they need.
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Male Menopause Tips and Facts.
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