Importance of Balancing Hormones as Men Age
Importance of Balancing Hormones as Men Age
What Is Andropause?
Declining testosterone levels are commonly seen in men beginning in the fourth decade of life. Suboptimal or low testosterone levels in males are often associated with symptoms of aging and are referred to as andropause or male menopause. This is the equivalent of menopause in women when ovarian production of estrogens and progesterone begins to decline. Testosterone is an important anabolic hormone in men, meaning it plays important roles in maintaining both physical and mental health.
What Does Testosterone Do?
It increases energy, prevents fatigue, helps maintain normal sex drive, increases strength of all structural tissues such as skin/bone/muscles including the heart, and prevents depression and mental fatigue. Testosterone deficiency is often associated with symptoms such as night sweats, insulin resistance, erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, decreased mental and physical ability, lower ambition, loss of muscle mass and weight gain in the waist.
Weight Gain an Low Testosterone – Metabolic Syndrome:
The primary cause of this increase in girth is visceral fat not excessive subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin). The visceral fat cells are the most insulin resistant cells in the human body. They have excess hormone binding receptors for cortisol and androgens and decreased receptors for insulin (resistance to insulin). As a person ages hormone levels change in favor of insulin resistance. The cortisol and insulin levels rise while progesterone, growth hormone and testosterone decline. The visceral fat cell with its increased receptors, blood supply and innervation, begins to collect more fat in the form of triglycerides. A vicious cycle is initiated, which if not interrupted with natural hormone balancing, will lead to abdominal obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol levels. This phenomenon is known as metabolic syndrome.
Does Testosterone Cause Cancer?
There is no evidence that testosterone increases the risk of prostate gland cancer; however, if cancer has already developed testosterone may accelerate its growth. Prostate Specific Antigen markers are ran on all men prior to treatment and annual prostate exams are the most important screening for prostate cancer.
Testing and Treatment for Low Testosterone:
The practitioners at RenŪ Progressive Medicine are specialty trained in testosterone and comprehensive hormone evaluation and treatment.
Please make your appointment today to get tested. Unfortunately, more often low testosterone is being seen in younger males, thus it is important to be screened early if you are having any of the noted signs and symptoms of low testosterone.
