By Dr Claude Chauchard
As important as it is for women during the menopause?
This is a real medical and social debate. Women are well cared-for in this respect, because they have a gynaecologist who monitors them throughout their sexual maturity.
First period, birth control, pregnancy, hormonal issues, pre-menopause, menopause and end-of-life care.
Men, meanwhile, go through a kind of “hormonal desert”. There is nobody in their entourage who really understands why they are gradually losing the hair on the back of their calves, why they are going bald, why they are gaining weight, why they are developing a belly as they get older, why they very rarely or no longer have morning glory or spontaneous erections, why they have fewer erotic thoughts, and finally why their erections are becoming less powerful. Thankfully, erection-strengthening medicines came onto the market and can be prescribed by all types of doctor. There is no need to have a particular specialisation, even a GP can prescribe these medicines and listen to their patients’ complaints. Men must start a relationship of trust with their doctor so that, in addition to admitting to erection problems, they feel more comfortable confiding in them and will finally find out what the andropause, the male menopause, is. So yes, of course hormone replacement therapy is as important for men as it is for women.
However, signs of the andropause tend to appear later in men than signs of the menopause in women.
Clinical signs of the andropause
A man’s testosterone levels gradually decrease between the age of 40 and 80. In fact, men always have a little testosterone in their tissues, compared with women who, from age 50 onwards, see their oestrogen and progesterone levels drop to zero.
Male HRT requires not only a full hormone assessment – total amount of testosterone, free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), dihydrotestosterone, oestradiol – but also a prostate check with a PSA test, scan and rectal examination.
We assess their vitamin D levels to prevent osteoporosis, do an abdominal scan to look at all of the abdominal organs, especially the liver, and a blood test to check the blood count and look out for excess red blood cells or a lack of white blood cells. We check their renal function, blood lipids, etc. Once this in-depth assessment has been carried out, the doctor and patient must have confidence in one other, which is vital if the patient is to open up about their personal life, sex life, emotional state, and social, family and professional situation.
Once this trust has been gained, the doctor will then prescribe hormone replacement therapy to provide the most suitable hormones. Each patient is different: some need hormone gels, others can make do with testosterone capsules, though after the age of 60 we usually need to prescribe injectable products, which are effective for anything between 15 days and 4 months. It is up to the doctor to make the right choice with regard to their patient’s hormonal state. The right hormone therapy can change a patient’s life. Testosterone is the hormone of the muscles, the heart, the arteries and the viscera, since the food bolus travels down into the intestine thanks to the motor activity propelled by testosterone.
In short, testosterone makes the brain dynamic and positive again, with an energetic fighting spirit. The patient recovers their libido, not forgetting the quick recovery of their erectile function, with morning erections as proof! How fantastic! No more pessimistic, tired, depressive men. Make way for new, rejuvenated, creative and positive men who have realized that they need HRT, are monitored by a trusted doctor, and no longer have to envy women’s HRT. To conclude, we must remember that the stakes are considered by each patient. We must not forget that the testosterone molecule was discovered 72 years ago. That means that we know men well and that we have long since realized how necessary and vital it is for men aged over 40 to accept this hormonal treatment, which is vital for their creativity, longevity and sexuality. To conclude, hormone replacement therapy in men is a guarantee of a fulling later life.
Dr. Claude Chauchard 
A renowned specialist in nutrition, weight control and medicine for age prevention. More than a million copies of 14 books sold in more than 5 languages. Founder of the anti-aging clinic concept La Clinique De Paris, established in China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea since 1992. Assistant professor at the universities of SEOUL and PEKING. Creator of the online Chrono Géno Nutrition method.
