Declining Testosterone

Declining Testosterone Levels In Men With Age: Fact Or Myth?

At the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society this year, it was announced that a decline in testosterone in men is not an inevitable result of aging according to a large population based, longitudinal study. So the concept of Adropause (the male version of menopause) that is associated with a sudden decline in testosterone in men in middle age is not true. 1382 men were enrolled in the study and the average age was 54 years. At 5 years follow-up, there was no change in testosterone levels with age. However, some men did experience a significant decline in levels related to the following predictors: unmarried status; being depressed at baseline, and at follow-up; cardiovascular disease, obesity, and weight gain during follow-up.

Bottom Line: if you are male and middle-aged and you have low testosterone levels, you need to ask yourself why? Explore all the possible reasons with your doctor.  At my clinic, I do see low testosterone levels in middle aged men and this often corresponds to obesity and weight gain. Working to improve your diet and lifestyle can improve testosterone levels and reduce heart disease and diabetes risk.