Male menopause: is it a real clinical syndrome?
The association between aging-related testosterone deficiency and late-onset clinical hypogonadism in men remains a controversial concept. Several descriptive names, such as andropause, male menopause, partial androgen deficiency of the aging male and late-onset hypogonadism, have been suggested in an attempt to connect the age-related decline in androgen production and symptoms of aging in men. However, despite many studies, no clear correlation has been established and, as a result, there is also a debate over the use of androgen replacement therapy in this clinical set-up. Nevertheless, new data from large-scale studies have been recently published, which shed more light on this complicated issue. A recent New England Journal of Medicine article demonstrated that only a minor fraction (2%) of elderly men suffer from this clinical syndrome and gave serum testosterone level thresholds that support it.
Pines
Amos
A
Department of Medicine 'T', Ichilov Hospital, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000728:Androgens / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047649:Andropause / Q000502:physiology*; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000728:Androgens; D013739:Testosterone