Published : Aug. 18, 2011 - 18:49
Men are sometimes thought to be stronger and healthier than women. However, this perception can be easily disproved by taking a look at a simple statistical review.
Lee Sung-won
The mortality rate of men in their 40s is more than three times the rate of women.
Women are likely to outlive their male counterparts by seven years. Cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, cardiac disease), liver disease and diabetes are the most common diseases that threaten the health of middle-aged and older men.
The prevalence of the aforementioned diseases in men is deeply related to the lifestyle differences between men and women rather than their physiological differences.
Compared to women, men tend to be less interested in health issues, more likely to smoke and drink and more accident prone.
Men are unlikely to see their doctor unless they are seriously ill, and if they do, they are more likely to ignore their doctor’s advice. These trends are more extreme in Korea and explain why the mortality rate of men in their 40s is significantly higher here than in developed countries.
Symptoms of male menopause
The term “menopause” is generally associated with women that have ceased to menstruate due to a decrease of female hormones. Similarly men show signs of menopause due to a lack of male hormones. Since male menopause progresses slowly and gradually, many men do not notice the changes in their body. And even if they do notice the symptoms, they tend to write them off as stress or old age.
As male menopause accelerates the aging process and weakens the body’s ability to resist disease, it represents a great threat to male health. Male menopause starts to develop in men in their 50s and its frequency increases with age. It is present in 30 percent of men in their 60s.
Common symptoms include fatigue, memory loss and depression. Physiologically, muscle mass decreases, body fat increases and bones become weaker. Sexual function decreases leading to impotence and hyposexuality (loss of sexual appetite).
Male menopause is caused by a decrease of male hormones due to the aging of the brain and testes. Environmental factors such as heavy drinking, smoking and stress as well as physiological factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and liver disease are contributing factors to male menopause.
Treatment for male menopause
Treatment of male menopause involves male hormone supplementation.
Consulting with a specialist before taking male hormones is crucial. While male hormones have few side effects in patients with male menopause, they may cause severe side effects in men with normal levels of hormones.
Hormone therapy will increase muscle strength, decrease body fat, prevent osteoporosis and generally increase overall physical function in men going through the menopause. It will also improve awareness, mental health (reducing lethargy, fatigue, depression, and phobia) and sexual function.
Prevention of male menopause consists of finding new methods for dealing with stress, eating food rich in minerals and low in fat as well as getting enough rest and sleep.
It is also important to have a well-regulated and orderly life, get sufficient exercise and have a healthy sex life.
Having regular, sincere conversations about your lifestyle and personal problems with the people around you is a good strategy. Abstaining from smoking and heavy drinking is especially effective in preventing menopause.
While it is it important to live a long life, it is even more important to maintain a healthy and active life. Modern medicine today revolves around improving the quality of life rather than extending it. Understanding and preparing for male menopause will allow you to enrich your life while extending it.
By Lee Sung-won, M.D.
The author is a medical doctor at the department of urology of Samsung Medical Center. ― Ed.