Andropause and Adrenopause

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Andropause is the term given to the time when androgen hormones decline in men creating symptoms similar to those seen in menopausal women. Decreases in testosterone levels along with number of leydig cells are attributed to andropause. Although the term “adndropause” is not recognized by the World Health Organization, “low-T” and “hypogonadism” are commonly used instead.
While the symptoms are all the same, many different names have been attributed to menopause-like symptoms in males. Some physicians use the term “SLOH” or “Symptomatic Late Onset Hypogonadism” to describe andropause while others who prefer to label it a deficiency refer to it as ‘”ADAM” or “androgen deficiency of the male”. Whether or not andropause should be treated depends on one’s physician’s opinion on the matter. Some believe that andropause is a natural state that all aging males undergo and that it shouldn’t be treated as a medical abnormality while others believe that there are considerable positive effects of hormone therapy. Supporters of hormone therapy do not agree with the idea that lower hormone levels are simply a natural process of aging. They point out that as life expectancy has increased, so has the need to treat aging-related hormonal shifts. In order to form an opinion on whether andropause should be considered a treatable disease, it’s important to understand its physiological process and an underlying condition known as “adrenopause”.
Adrenopause, more commonly known as “man-opause”, is an aging- related hormonal shift due to a reduction in secretion of adrenal hormones. The adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys and are primarily involved with the synthesis of corticosteroids including cortisol and catecholamines such ...

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