Who do you think about first when you hear the word hormones? For most of us, it is a woman more specifically, a woman and menopause. But, what about men? Don't they have hormones, too? Of course, they do! Although the hormone drop related to aging is not as profound as in the male as the female. The decline of a woman's hormones generally occurs at menopause when her levels drop rapidly and dramatically approximately 60% in the two years leading up to menopause. Menopause is often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain and forgetfulness. In addition, we now know that decreased hormone levels put women at higher risk for osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Men, on the other hand, experience a more gradual decline in hormone levels, for example, losing approximately one percent of their testosterone and 2.5 percent of their DHEA per year beginning at age 30.

In Aging male. These signs and symptoms of decline plasma testosterone has been termed andropause or male menopause by the mass media and by medical community in the United States as androgen deficiency in aging men (ADAM). Symptoms vary in perception and in intensity from one man to the next.

Nevertheless, when male patients complain of hot flashes, night sweats, depression, and/or erectile or sexual dysfunction, a thorough endocrine and urologic work-up should be initiated. It is important for health care providers, by asking appropriate questions and ordering cost-effective tests, to distinguish between andropause and potential pathologic disease states The Massachusetts Male Aging Study revealed that of 1,700 men ages 40 to 70 years, 52% reported minimal, moderate, or complete impotence. Other signs or symptoms characterizing andropause are listed below;

Much has yet to be learned, and while experts are divided on which of these areas will prove most important, they do agree that the traditional risk factors and recommendations will remain firmly in place, new findings may allow more precise targeting of preventative measures, whether or not CHD is an obvious threat. It is the use of all these potential risk factors that we evaluate and follow up on during treatment.