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Manopause?
Looking Into Andropause and the Low T Factor By Teri Brown
(Rodale Press, 2004), believes that andropause is a condition that encompasses both the psychological and the physical.
"Andropause, also called male menopause, begins with hormonal, physiological and chemical changes that occur in all men, generally between the ages of 40 and 55, though it can occur as early as 35 or as late as 65," says Diamond. "These changes affect all aspects of a man's life. Andropause is, thus, a physical condition with psychological, interpersonal, social and spiritual dimensions."
In 1995, while doing research for his first book, Male Menopause, Diamond found there was only anecdotal evidence to support the idea that andropause existed. Since then, research on the effects of low testosterone and the psychological effects of aging are showing that what our culture calls male menopause may be a very real condition.
"My book documented research from around the world to support the belief that men were being under-diagnosed and under-treated," says Diamond. "In the years after Male Menopause was published, an increasing number of professionals in the field have come to accept andropause as a real condition."
The problem with linking low T to a sort of male menopause is that while we know that all women will go though menopause, not all men will go through andropause and no one knows why. The testosterone levels in many men do not decrease significantly enough to cause typical low T symptoms. Another fact to consider is that there are many conditions and behaviors that can cause low T besides aging, such as obesity, drug or alcohol abuse, stress, medications or depression.
Yet many men still go through a "midlife crisis" that some link to andropause. Dr. Larry Lipshultz, professor of urology and the director of male reproductive medicine and surgery for Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, believes that while low testosterone levels may be responsible for some of the psychological symptoms of andropause, it cannot explain all of them.
"I think that midlife crisis mainly refers to a time in a man's life when he is feeling indecisive about his self worth, the significance of his job and the relationship with his family," says Dr. Lipshultz.
While Dr. Lipshultz believes that this insecurity can be increased by an unstable environment, he would not describe these symptoms as being fully due to low T. "It is something that may happen concurrently, at the same time in a man's life, though not necessarily a cause and effect relationship," says Dr. Lipshultz.
