Dr. Kenneth Varano Discusses The Male Menopause

 

April, 2010 Issue

Kenneth Varano, D.O. was featured in the April, 2010 issue of Esquire magazine answering the question for readers, "Should I be worried about male menopause?" Varano explains some of the symptoms associated with male menopause often caused by hormonal imbalance such as low libido and how low testosterone levels could be the underlying cause. He also discusses what men can do to find relief from symptoms including balancing hormones with bioidentical hormone therapy and avoiding hormone-mimicking environmental toxins that oftentimes function as estrogens in the human body.

"Should I be worried about male menopause?"

Esquire Magazine Columnist Stacey Greenrock Woods Writes:

It's not like it is for women; your [dick] doesn't one day fall off or anything. With normal aging comes a reduction in the male sex drive due to a decrease in your sex hormones (androgens, if you must know), but to liken it to menopause would be rather lame. Andropause, which the phenomenon has been called in at least one email I've seen, should not compel an otherwise healthy man to start adjusting his hormonal EQ unless he's sure it will really get him off. Even then, the risks can outweigh the benefits.

Now, if you just want someone to poke around under the hood, head over to your local BodyLogicMD clinic (in 21 states and Puerto Rico), where you can get an assessment of your hormone levels and then perhaps some "testosterone and other hormones and vitamin supplements to bring the levels up toward youthful levels, "explains franchise owner Kenneth Varano, D.O. Keep in mind that as with all sexual occurrences, the gradual, natural diminution of virility will be smoother for those who are not fat, drunken slobs. "Staying away from the microwaved food and plastics and processed foods" might also be in order, says Dr. Varano. He says that estrogen receptors in your body can be activated by such things, "particularly plastics."

Dr. Kenneth Varano

A Closer Lookinto Andropause (Male Menopause)

Hormonal imbalance is a natural part of aging - and not just for women. Men have a biological time-clock too. In men, male menopause is commonly referred to as andropause and is oftentimes the result of low testosterone. While some men notice the affects of low testosterone immediately, the decline generally occurs gradually over time. It is estimated that a man's testosterone levels will wane at an average rate of 2% each year, usually beginning around the age of 30.

Many of the symptoms associated with andropause are similar to what women experience during menopause.

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance in men include:

- Low libido
- Adrenal fatigue
- Weight gain
- Hair loss
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Loss of muscle mass
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
- Irritability (Irritable Male Syndrome)
- Gynecomastia ("Man boobs")
- Memory loss
- Irregular sleep

Recent studies estimate that approximately 25 million American men currently suffer from symptoms of low testosterone and only 5% are aware that andropause is to blame. This is primarily because the decline in men is more gradual than experienced in women during menopause and the symptoms are oftentimes dismissed as being "a part of getting older." Unlike women, men are more inclined throw in the towel and chalk it all up to a "mid-life crisis."

"It's important for men to understand that hormonal imbalance does not discriminate," shares Dr. Varano. "The number of men still in the dark about andropause is alarming. Fortunately, diagnostic hormone testing can help detect and pinpoint underlying hormonal imbalances such as testosterone deficiencies. Using a combination of bioidentical hormones and customized nutrition and fitness regimens, men can safely and effectively mitigate symptoms of andropause."