While many people associate male hormones with "muscles" and "sexual desire," their role goes beyond that. In fact, testosterone, a type of male hormone, holds the key to a man's lifelong mental and physical health.
Testosterone levels quietly but steadily decline with age. This book will shed light on the unknown relationship between male hormones and aging, and explain how changes in testosterone levels affect vitality and health.
table of contents
The male hormone testosterone gradually decreases with age
The male hormone "testosterone" gradually declines with age from middle age onwards. In contrast to the sudden changes in hormones that occur in women during menopause, the decline in men is characterized by a gradual progression.
Therefore, it is difficult to notice the change, and it is not uncommon for people to continue feeling "unwell for some reason." The time, speed, and degree of decline vary greatly from person to person, with some people beginning to experience decline in their 40s and others maintaining high levels even in old age.
A decrease in testosterone can cause a variety of changes in your physical, mental, and sexual function.
source:Japan Endocrine Society | Male menopause (age-related hypogonadism, LOH syndrome)
Secretion of male hormones by age
The amount of male hormone secreted changes during puberty, adulthood, and old age.
puberty
Everyone goes through puberty, and the changes to a masculine physique, such as a changing voice, muscle growth, and facial hair growth, are all caused by a sudden increase in testosterone secretion.
The testicles grow and actively produce testosterone, transforming the body from a child into an adult man.
adulthood
Testosterone levels peak in your 20s and 30s, when you feel most energetic both physically and mentally.
However, subsequent changes vary from person to person. Some people experience a gradual decline in their 30s or 40s, while others maintain levels that are almost the same as when they were younger, even in their 70s and 80s. This large degree of individual variation is one of the reasons why male menopausal symptoms are so diverse.
old age
As we age, the function of the testicles, which are the factories that produce testosterone, gradually declines. This can lead to various disorders such as decreased energy and muscle strength. Symptoms of disorders caused by declining testicular function can sometimes be improved by undergoing testosterone replacement therapy at a medical institution.
source:Japan Men's Health Medical Society | Testosterone is "Testosterone secretion"
Differences from female hormones
The biggest difference between male menopause and female menopause is the timing and duration of the decline in hormones.
For women, there is a clear timing for menopause, as female hormones decrease rapidly over a period of about 10 years around the age of 50. On the other hand, for men, there is no specific time for menopause, and it can begin any time after the age of 40.
Furthermore, while women's hormone fluctuations stabilize about five years after menopause and their bodies become accustomed to the decreased hormone levels, for men, the decline continues slowly and without end, which can lead to prolonged discomfort.
| male | woman | |
|---|---|---|
| cause | Decrease in male hormones | Decline in female hormones |
| season | Nothing in particular has been decided (Any time after age 40) |
Approximately 5 years before and after menopause (Around 50 years old) |
| period | There's no end | It settles down about 5 years after menopause |
source:Japan Endocrine Society | Male menopause (age-related hypogonadism, LOH syndrome)
Symptoms of a decrease in the male hormone testosterone
Male hormones are like a "talisman" for men's health. When testosterone levels decrease with age, various disorders, also known as "male menopause syndrome (LOH syndrome)," appear.
Symptoms of male menopause include:
- Depression, sexual dysfunction, and cognitive decline
- Diabetes
- obesity
- metabolic syndrome
- Osteoporosis
- Cardiovascular disease (arteriosclerosis, decreased vascular endothelial function)
- Sarcopenia (muscle loss)
In fact, some research has shown that people with higher testosterone levels live longer, which shows the importance of maintaining this hormone. Since a decrease in male hormones is affected by stress and lack of sleep, it is important to improve your lifestyle.
source:Japan Endocrine Society | Male menopause (age-related hypogonadism, LOH syndrome)
Defying aging: How to maintain and improve testosterone levels?
To maintain and improve testosterone levels as you age, start by reviewing your lifestyle habits. If you continue to experience problems despite lifestyle changes, you should seek medical advice.
Lifestyle habits that promote testosterone production
The causes of testosterone decline lie in our everyday lifestyle habits. Smoking, heavy drinking, and excessive stress are of course some of the biggest causes, but obesity is one of the biggest. Effective countermeasures include exercise and improving your diet. In fact, it has been reported that the more weight you lose, the higher your testosterone levels become.
However, strict calorie restriction does not last long. For example, simply being conscious of your daily diet by using an app to take photos of your meals and record them can be effective. Recently, there have been a number of functional foods that contain ingredients that help maintain testosterone levels, so it may be a good idea to make good use of these.
source:Male menopause and lifestyle habits
source:Low Testosterone in Men with Type 2 Diabetes: Significance and Treatment
Treatment methods for low male hormone levels available at medical institutions
Treatment methods generally differ depending on whether the male hormone levels are not too low and the symptoms are mild, or whether the male hormone levels are low and the symptoms are severe.
If your male hormone levels are not too low and your symptoms are mild
If you continue to feel unwell despite trying to improve your lifestyle habits, you should first consult a medical institution. If the decline in hormone levels is mild, you may be prescribed herbal medicine to improve your constitution, or you may be given medication to alleviate individual symptoms, such as ED medication, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication, or osteoporosis medication.
Low male hormone levels and severe symptoms
If a blood test shows that testosterone levels are clearly low and symptoms are severe, male hormone replacement therapy becomes an option. In Japan, intramuscular injections of testosterone preparations are covered by insurance and are the most common treatment.
[Regenerative medicine perspective] Approaching hormone production ability itself
In addition to lifestyle changes and hormone replacement therapy, a new approach known as "regenerative medicine" has been attracting attention in recent years. This new approach in regenerative medicine aims to provide more fundamental support for the functions of tissues and cells that have deteriorated with age.
Although still in the research stage, efforts are underway to create Leydig cells from the testicles, which primarily secrete testosterone, from iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells), and transplant these to restore the hormone-producing ability itself.
If this treatment becomes a reality, it may be possible to achieve lifelong results with just one treatment. It is a promising method for the future of medicine, aiming to restore youthfulness to cells throughout the body and to create a body that is less susceptible to hormone imbalances.
source: Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Into Testosterone-Producing Leydig-like Cells
summary
The male hormone "testosterone" decreases in everyone as we age. However, maintaining high testosterone levels is extremely important not only for immediate vitality, but also for maintaining future quality of life (QOL) and healthy life expectancy.
If you are over 40 and start to feel unwell, it's time to review your lifestyle and make efforts to reduce any factors that may be lowering your testosterone levels. It's important to correctly understand the changes that come with aging and deal with them wisely. If you are experiencing serious discomfort, don't suffer alone; always consider consulting a specialist medical institution.
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