Doctor says manopause is real and men over certain age should get HRT

A doctor says manopause is a real thing, and says men should be prescribed HRT to cope with it. Writing in MailOnline, Dr Max Pemberton says there is a male equivalent of the menopause. Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman's reproductive years.

It occurs when the ovaries stop releasing eggs and producing most of their oestrogen, leading to the cessation of menstrual periods. Menopause is diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, not caused by other medical conditions.

Common symptoms include mood swings, hot flushes, changes in libido, changes in sleep patterns, weight gain and joint or muscle pain as well as 'brain fog'. Dr Pemberton said: "For years we’ve assumed that misanthropic old men were just a fact of life. We put their moods down to missing their purpose in life or thinking the world is moving on too fast for their liking. But increasingly there’s a view that they could be suffering from an hormonal imbalance called the andropause."

READ MORE: 'I had acid reflux for 10 years - then I found out it could lead to cancer'

READ MORE: 'See doctor urgently' if your poo looks like this

He said the condition, also known as ‘manopause’, is a result of low testosterone. He said studies show up to a fifth of men over 65 could be suffering with mood swings, low libido, fatigue. sweating and aches and pains. And he said that while there could be 840,000 sufferers in the UK just 19,000 get treatment- usually testosterone gel.

Dr Pemberton said: "In women the menopause is triggered by the sudden fall in sex hormones – oestrogen and progesterone – which occurs when the ovaries shut down. In males, however, there is no similar, dramatic decline in testosterone, but rather a natural, gradual reduction with age – a fall of about 0.5 per cent a year."

But he said many doctors believe manopause is psychological rather than hormonal - linked to life changes and possibly other medical conditions. And he said some suggest men should just lose weight as obesity decreases testosterone.

Dr Pemberton said: "My view is that a version of the menopause does exist in men – but very far from all." He said he has seen men who have been transformed by testosterone replacement therapy - including being able to stop taking antidepressants.

He added: "The resistance to the idea that men would benefit from hormone treatment does seem to smack of the resistance that women faced for years with regard to HRT."