Experts in Healthy Hormones and Aging Well
As they grow older, men suffer from a variety of physical conditions such as andropause, or male menopause, which relates to the slow, but steady. decrease in the production of the hormone testosterone. It typically beginning in the early 40’s but we have helped men who were in their 20’s and 30’s with low testosterone levels.
Here are some of the common symptoms associated with andropause:
- Decreased Libido and sex drive
- Weight gain around your belly
- Mental fatigue and trouble concentrating
- Decreased energy and loss of your “get up and go”
- Erectile dysfunction and weaker ejaculations
- Depression and anxiety
- Lack of skin elasticity
- Brain fog and other cognitive concerns
- Aches, pains and stiffness
- Higher Total Cholesterol
- Lower HDL Cholesterol
- Loss of Muscle tone
- Poor exercise recovery
- Sleep issues
- Elevated blood sugars
Testosterone is primarily manufactured in the testes and to a lesser extent in the adrenal glands. Men also produce the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, but at a much lower level than in women. Testosterone is not just essential for libido and erectile function; it plays a crucial role in mood, energy, bone health, and ideal body composition.
Why do men get a rise in estrogen?
As testosterone declines, estrogen naturally rises or the balance of the testosterone/estrogen ratio becomes out out of balance. Testosterone is normally converted to estrogen in small amounts. As men age, this conversion process increases. A normal testosterone to estrogen ratio in men is about 50:1. In andropause, this ratio may get as low as 8:1. This abnormal ratio can cause men to lose masculine features such as muscle bulk, narrow hips and waist, and start to develop feminine traits such as enlarged breast tissue and unwanted fat deposits around their middle. Although this is considered a normal male aging pattern, your health and aging will thrive when you can slow down or reverse this process.
Some of the causes include: stress, medications, high carb/sugar diet, lack of exercise, increased aromatase activity caused by increased abdominal fat. Also, the liver may be failing to remove excess estrogen, possibly because of heavy alcohol intake. Yes, that 2nd or 3rd drink can boost estrogen levels within the liver. And finally, estrogen enhancing substances in food like pesticides and even your skin care products may contains estrogen like compounds that overload the liver and increase your estrogen levels.
Dr Peters shares in the video below how we treat men with low testosterone and other male health related issues.
How Optimal Testosterone/ Estrogen Balance Can Improve Your Health
Research has proven that testosterone replacement for men in andropause is beneficial, resulting in improvement in libido, sexual function and sense of well-being. Men who were previously struggling to achieve sexual arousal can have their libido restored to peak levels. Additionally, increased muscle mass (and potentially increased muscle strength) and increased bone mass as well as decreased fat mass are frequently observed with testosterone therapy.”1
The cardiac protective effects of testosterone supplementation in men include:
- Decreased Total Cholesterol
- Decreased LDL Cholesterol
- Increased HDL Cholesterol
- Decreased Angina
- Decreased Systolic Blood Pressure
- Increased Clot Dissolving Factors in the Blood
In our Nourishing Wellness Program, we offer replacement of declining hormones with bio-identical hormones. Prostate cancer is the most feared complication of testosterone replacement therapy. However, there is general agreement that testosterone administration does not cause prostate cancer.
Furthermore, research indicates that prostate cancer tends to develop in older men who have the lowest levels of testosterone2. It is felt that prostate cancer is perhaps related to high estrogen levels. Research studies point to elevated estrogen in aging men as the culprit in benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)3. Commonly seen in aging men, BPH is the enlargement of the prostate gland, which may be a precursor to prostate cancer. However, if someone has microscopic, sub-clinical prostate cancer, testosterone therapy might make it worse.
- Males over the age of 45 have ongoing interval screening of their prostate gland every 3 months for the first year of supplementation and then every 6-12 months after that, depending on one’s prostate cancer risk.
- Screening should comprise of a digital rectal exam and PSA level. The PSA (Prostatic Specific Antigen) is a blood test that screens for disease in the prostate gland. Any abnormalities should be further evaluated by ultrasound and/or biopsy. We require that you either have this screening done by us before we re-fill testosterone prescriptions.
At the Nourishing Wellness Medical Center in Redondo Beach, our goals for men are to:
- Improve psychological well-being and mood
- Increase muscle mass, improve strength and stamina
- Preserve or improve bone mass
- Improve libido
- Decrease cardiovascular disease risk
- Decrease chronic aging associated with blood sugar elevations
- Promote successful aging through support for a better diet/ lifestyle/exercise and stress
REFERENCES
- Andropause, M.L. Vance/Growth Hormone & IGF Research 13 (2003) S90-S92
- An Integrative Review on Current Evidence of Testosterone Replacement therapy for Andropause, R.S. Tan, J.W. Culberson/ Maturitas 45 (2003) 15-27
- Endocrine environment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: prostate size and volume are correlated with serum estrogen concentration, Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology, 1995:29:65-68
A prospective study of plasma hormone levels, non-hormonal factors, and the development of benign prostatic Hyperplasia; The Prostate, 1995; 26: 40-49