Mood swings and weight gain may be common symptoms of an ageing bloke, but they may also be a sign of something more serious: male menopause. Even grumpiness and irritability perhaps the traits most associated with certain older men – is more likely to be the result of a lack of testosterone rather than too much of it.
Though usually referred to as the ‘male menopause’, the scientific name is andropause, from the Greek for ‘human male’, andras, and pause, meaning ‘to end’ (menopause translates as the less fatal sounding ‘monthly end’). Though menopause is a natural period of woman’s life cycle, such a life change for men is rarer, less severe, and less swift.
“While the term ‘male menopause’ is used for the condition, this phrase is bit misleading,” writes Dr Nish Manek in BBC Science Focus Magazine, “there isn’t usually a sudden drop in testosterone in middle age like there is for oestrogen in women.
From around age 30, most men will experience an annual testosterone decline of around 2%, rising to 3% after age 40. A paper published in the Journal of Ageing by the Centre for Men’s Health in London estimated that about 20% men over 50 had a testosterone deficiency, while other studies have shown an 80-year-old guy will have around half the amount of testosterone as he did in his prime. It’s unusual for male hormonal drop-offs – known as hypogonadism – to be significant enough to cause too many issues.
According to Age Concern New Zealand, many of the symptoms “are considered a normal part of ageing and can be managed”.
Hypogonadism may be present from birth (resulting in symptoms such as underdeveloped testes and delayed puberty), but can also occur further down the line, known as late-onset hypogonadism, causing indications of andropause such as weight gain, decreased libido, muscle loss, insomnia, erectile dysfunction, and hot flushes.
According to Age Concern New Zealand, many of the symptoms “are considered a normal part of ageing and can be managed”.
Such symptoms, though rare, are also more likely to affect overweight men, or those with other conditions such as type 2 diabetes. However, even then, lifestyle factors like smoking or excessive alcohol consumption, or mental health issues such as depression, are still statistically far more likely to be the root cause of any problems.
For those with concerns, the first port of call should be your GP who can conduct blood, saliva, or urine tests to check on testosterone levels as well as discuss possible issues with lifestyle and mental health. Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), as well as a better diet, more exercise and relaxation techniques like meditation may help alleviate the symptoms of andropause, but if testosterone levels are abnormally low for your age range, hormone replacement therapy might be required.
