{"id":5218,"date":"2015-03-12T08:15:05","date_gmt":"2015-03-12T00:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joomla.hayleyappleford.com\/?p=147"},"modified":"2025-04-11T16:06:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T08:06:27","slug":"male-menopause-does-it-exist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/male-menopause-does-it-exist\/","title":{"rendered":"Male Menopause \u2013 Does it exist?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-size: 12.1599998474121px; line-height: 15.8079996109009px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"images\/life_clinic\/news\/Male Menopause-Does it exitsmall size.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"102\" height=\"115\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As\u00a0men approach their forties, subtle changes may begin to take place. They may start putting on weight, lose stamina (both in the bedroom and out) or find themselves losing interest in things that previously excited them. Some may appear less decisive or sure of themselves, which may herald a full-blown mid-life crisis where they try to recoup their dwindling youth (often with disastrous effects). A few will become moody or suffer depression.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><em>By\u00a0<a href=\"about-us\/our-team\/dr-stephen-chan\">Dr Stephen Chan<\/a>,\u00a0Medical Director in Life Clinic<\/em><\/p>\n<h4><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"images\/life_clinic\/news\/Male Menopause-Does it exitsmall size.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"159\" height=\"180\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\" \/>Like women, a man\u2019s hormones decline as he gets older. Although less dramatic than female menopause, this drop in sex hormone still has a profound impact on a man\u2019s health.<\/h4>\n<p>As men approach their forties, subtle changes may begin to take place. They may start putting on weight, lose stamina (both in the bedroom and out) or find themselves losing interest in things that previously excited them. Some may appear less decisive or sure of themselves, which may herald a\u00a0full-blown\u00a0mid-life crisis where they try to recoup their dwindling youth (often with disastrous effects). A few will become moody or suffer depression.<\/p>\n<p>Whereas most men accept these changes and losing their edge\u00a0as \u201cjust getting older\u201d, few will know the reasons for it happening \u2013 a phenomenon known as andropause, or \u201cmale menopause\u201d. Likewise, they may not know that something very simple can be done about it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/male-menopause-does-it-exist\/#When_do_men_start_losing_testosterone\" >When do men start losing testosterone?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/male-menopause-does-it-exist\/#What_can_done_to_retain_testosterone\" >What can done to retain testosterone?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/male-menopause-does-it-exist\/#Treatment_options\" >Treatment options<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/male-menopause-does-it-exist\/#Final_thoughts\" >Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_do_men_start_losing_testosterone\"><\/span>When do men start losing testosterone?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Compared to women, whose main sex hormone, oestrogen, declines precipitously around the age of 50, Men\u2019s main\u00a0sex hormone, testosterone, declines more gradually after their peak in their twenties. This is the time when a man is physically his strongest and most sexually virile. After that peak, testosterone gradually begins to fall most noticeably after the\u00a0age of 40. By the time men have reached 70, the hormone levels may only be 20 percent of what they were at their peak.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to playing a major role in male fertility and sex drive, testosterone also has many other functions, explains Dr. Stephen Chan, director of Life Clinic. \u201cTestosterone keeps the muscles strong, and there\u2019s one muscle that\u2019s especially important \u2013 the heart. Testosterone not only keeps the heart strong, but also helps also keep the blood vessels dilated, lowers bad cholesterol, and helps the blood from getting too sticky, in effect protecting men from heart disease. As they get older, men will lose this protective effect as testosterone levels fall, explaining the rise in heart attacks after the age of forty.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As testosterone levels continues to fall in a man&#8217;s forties and fifties, psychological changes can occur like loss of confidence,low self esteem, and a general loss of the focus and ambition they had in their younger years.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_can_done_to_retain_testosterone\"><\/span>What can done to retain testosterone?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Men\u2019s initial reaction to feeling older is often to exercise more and eat healthier. \u201cWhile that is admirable, there is usually only so far they can go with these lifestyle changes,\u201d Dr. Chan says. \u201cWhen they reach a plateau, that is when they often seek help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do a full assessment and will check their hormone levels on saliva and blood tests. We will check not just testosterone, but also oestrogen, DHEA, stress hormone, sleep hormone, thyroid hormones and sleep hormones,\u201d Dr. Chan says.<\/p>\n<p>The reason for this, he explains, is because hormones like to play together &#8211; if you change one, it will often affect another. So when we balance the hormones, he says, it is important to look across the board at all the hormones.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf hormone testing confirms the patient has low testosterone, we help him boost them with bioidentical hormone creams or injections,\u201d Dr. Chan says. \u201cI prefer creams because they mimic our own natural production of testosterone much more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur testes will produce 7-12 mg of testosterone per day. Applying a little bit of cream each day is simulating that process,\u201d he says. However, for those who find apply a cream every day too much a hassle, an injection every one to three months can be a very convenient alternative.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Treatment_options\"><\/span>Treatment options<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Life Clinic prefers to use bio-identical hormones over artificial hormones to balance a patient\u2019s hormone levels. Many originate from plant source, but are upgraded so that they\u00a0are exactly identical to our own hormones. They fit our cell receptors exactly as our own hormones do, and are metabolised (or removed from the body) in exactly the same way. This, Dr. Chan says, vastly reduces the risk of side effects, since any potential side effect would be no different than having too much or too little of our own natural hormone in our body.<\/p>\n<p>This is in stark contrast to conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which has been linked to potentially harmful side\u00a0effects. According to Dr. Chan, the problem with traditional HRT is that it uses high doses of an artificial hormone in a one-size-fits- all approach that takes no account of each person\u2019s individuality or unique needs. The chemical is entirely different to our own hormones, and may partially fit in our cells receptors, and not be\u00a0removed so easily, much like how the wrong key can sometimes open a door but then get jammed in the lock. This continued stimulation of the receptor is why traditional HRT has been linked to a variety of conditions including heart attacks, strokes and thrombosis.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, <a href=\"treatments\/internal-anti-aging-treatments\/personalised-bio-identical-hormones\">bio-identical hormones<\/a> are exactly identical to our own hormones, are given in the small doses found naturally in our bodies, and tailored to each person\u2019s needs. Each person is then regularly monitored to make sure they\u2019re not overtreated or undertreated.<\/p>\n<p>We like to use the lowest effective dose that\u2019s possible to achieve the maximum effect,\u201d Dr. Chan says. \u201cPatients are reviewed once a month after starting, and then every few months after that. We typically repeat a saliva test six months later, but usually when clients report they are feeling much better, and back to their former selves, we pretty much know we are on the right track. Done in a very gentle way, we find there are almost no side effects.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although treatment with bioidentical hormones can be stopped at any time, Dr. Chan says that once patients begin to feel the benefits of treatment \u2013sharper, quicker, more energetic, and more virile \u2013 most choose to stay on the treatment. After all, Dr. Chan says, all the treatment is doing is restoring a man\u2019s hormones to more youthful levels.<\/p>\n<p>Men\u00a0with existing conditions such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease also have no problem using bioidentical hormone therapy, Dr. Chan says. \u201cIf anything, it\u2019s likely to help with these conditions,\u201d he says, \u201cbecause of all the beneficial effects it has on the heart and blood vessels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost people think of testosterone as working just on the genitals and sex drive. But actually there are hormone receptors everywhere in the body \u2013 the brain, the heart, the liver, and the bones. The benefits are everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_thoughts\"><\/span>Final thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As men are genetically and anthropologically programmed to be providers, many are reluctant to seek help with symptoms associated with getting older. But men who consult an anti-ageing specialist to find out how to make the right changes in their lifestyle and take the right supplements to get their body back on track, find that they can see dramatic improvements in their well-being after only one or two months without a huge amount of effort, Dr. Chan says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur aim, with anti-ageing medicine, is not for people to live to be 150 \u2013 although that would be nice,\u201d Dr. Chan says, \u201cit\u2019s really to help people to be as fully-functioning as they can be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This means being full of vitality, mentally sharp and engaged, and sexually virile \u2013 to be a fully-contributing member of society well into old age, Dr. Chan says. \u201cThat\u2019s very much our focus \u2013 to empower people to live the best lives that they can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you have any further queries about<a href=\"treatments\/internal-anti-aging-treatments\/personalised-bio-identical-hormones\"> bio-identical hormones<\/a>,\u00a0please contact us by email\u00a0<a title=\"Email Life Clinic\" href=\"mailto:reception@lifeclinic.com.hk\">reception@lifeclinic.com.hk<\/a>\u00a0or call reception on\u00a0<strong>2881 8131<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As\u00a0men approach their forties, subtle changes may begin to take place. They may start putting on weight, lose stamina (both in the bedroom and out) or find themselves losing interest in things that previously excited them. Some may appear less decisive or sure of themselves, which may herald a full-blown mid-life crisis where they try [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6060,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[204,207],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-functional-medicine","category-hormones"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/male-pattern-baldness.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5218"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8835,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5218\/revisions\/8835"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeclinic.com.hk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}