Menopause for Men

While many physicians scoff at the existence of male menopause, scientists nevertheless have a name for the largely unstudied physical and emotional transitions weathered by midlife men: andropause.

Just as midlife women experience a gradual decline in the female hormone estrogen, midlife males experience a gradual decline in testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the major androgens, or male hormones.

The Massachusetts Male Aging Study showed that there is a cluster of symptoms often found in men in their late 40s and early 50s, as well as a corresponding decrease in sex hormone production. This research project followed 776 men for 10 years, 1987 through 1997. The symptoms include increased anxiety, insomnia, back pain, mood swings and headaches.

And a large-scale investigation in Finland is trying to further define the condition and assess response to certain treatments, including testosterone. It is hoped that results will help clarify whether there are any potential links between male hormone decreases and increased anxiety and depression in midlife men.

So, if you are a male in his late 40s or early 50s -- or you live with one -- and are experiencing any of the symptoms of this condition, take comfort in knowing it’s not all in your head; there is much persuasive evidence suggesting that male menopause truly does exist.