New study calls for testosterone therapy to treat male menopause
30 Jul 2015
A controversial new study says the male menopause was real and sufferers should be given testosterone as part of the treatment.
According to researchers at the Centre for Men's Health in London, about 20 per cent of men over 50 had testosterone deficiency
According to a paper in the Journal of Ageing, the sufferers reported hot flushes, night sweats, joint pain, low libido, depression and an increase in body fat among other symptoms.
Two thousand men received testosterone for over 26 years at the centre.
Professor Malcolm Carruthers, the centre's chief medical officer, told The Telegraph, ''This study proves [the therapy's] effectiveness… but most importantly supports the safety of testosterone treatment, even over prolonged periods.
The male menopause had been called ''andropause'' by some, but the idea is disputed with some experts believing it was brought on by stress caused by a mid-life crisis, rather than a natural change.
Professor Frederick Wu, of Manchester University, disputing professor Carruthers' view of the implications of the research said in his opinion the publication was not only misleading but potentially dangerous, particularly when the author called for many more men to be treated, inappropriately, with testosterone.
According to professor Jonathan Seckl, of Edinburgh University, much more research was needed.
Carruthers also urged improved testing of testosterone levels, as some men could remain within 'normal levels' yet still be deficient.
He added, contrary to orthodox theory, there was no threshold for testosterone levels. He said resistance to the hormone could be caused by age, stress, obesity intake or genetic factors.
Recent research had indicated men with low testosterone levels were likely to have a shorter life expectancy than those considered normal.
