Menopause is the physiological cessation of menstruation due to cessation of the production of female sex hormones by the ovaries, which causes a gradual decline in female reproductive function. This process lasts from 1 to 5 years, from about 48-49, to 54-55 years of age.
For this reason, the term "menopause" cannot be applied to men, since in them the process of decline in sexual function is due to a gradual decrease in the production of testosterone by the Leydig cells in the testicles until the age of 60 age.
Until this age, men accumulate chronic diseases, including those of the heart, blood vessels, bone tissue, from which women in the reproductive period were protected by high levels of estrogen: with the onset of menopause in women, this protection disappears.
Men up to the age of 60 often complain of reduced sexual desire and erectile dysfunction, increased fatigue (lack of energy, chronic fatigue), reduced concentration, memory and cognitive disorders, depressive feelings (constant sadness, lack of joy), insomnia, reduced physical strength and muscle volume, weight gain.
They attribute all of this to decreased testosterone production and believe that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will correct the situation. But this is not about testosterone, but about the consequences of an unhe althy lifestyle - smoking, drinking alcohol, unhe althy diet, stress, lack of movement, physical inactivity, etc.
Various chronic diseases also play an important role. For example, atherosclerosis can cause erectile dysfunction, as it leads to a decrease in blood supply to the vessels of the corpora cavernosa of the genital organ.
Also, unlike men, in women, HRT significantly improves their quality of life, because they compensate for the complete absence of sex hormones in them in postmenopause. In men, baseline testosterone concentration is maintained. That is why the concept of "male menopause" is not considered in serious medicine. Doctors of the gerontology profile deal with the problems associated with age changes.
To identify the causes of age-related problems in men, the doctor prescribes a general blood test, blood biochemistry and a PSA test - prostate-specific antigen. It is a protein enzyme that is produced by the prostate gland. The PSA level indicates the general condition of the prostate tissue. An increase in its total levels may indicate prostatitis, prostate adenoma, urinary tract infections, or prostate tumors.
