Symptoms of male menopause

The answer is F.

When men reach mid-life, they may experience any of the above-mentioned conditions.

Andropause, as the phenomenon is called, occurs due to a drop in essential androgen hormones, causing hypogonadism -- a low level of testosterone. Since testosterone fuels the sex drive, hypogonadal men suffer not only from impotence, but also a general lack of interest in sex.

Weakened bone structure and lowered efficiency of organs that depend on testosterone leads to increased bone fractures and circulatory problems resulting in clogged arteries, varicose veins and heart problems.

General fatigue and an irregularly high ratio of estrogen in men causes the same irritability, memory loss and moodiness as estrogen deficiency in women. Still, men are spared the hot flashes brought on by a woman's lack of estrogen. And, while his sex drive may be in low gear, a man's fertility can remain intact long after his desire ends.

Resources

Read about andropause in the MEDLINEplus encyclopedia.

For an in-depth discussion of andropause and its treatment, we recommend the article "Hormones for Men," by Jerome Groopman. It appears in the July 29, 2002, issue of The New Yorker magazine.