'Manopause' causes symptoms in roughly 50 per cent of men: U of A study

Pharmacy professors from the University of Alberta have published new guidelines to help pharmacists treat testosterone deficiency in aging men.

According to the research, hypogonadism also known as “male menopause” or “manopause,” is both real and treatable.

Unlike women’s menopause which usually occurs in the 50s, men’s sex hormones can drop as early as the late 20s, with gradual symptoms over decades, explained Cheryl Sadowski, the lead author of the study.

Fatigue, weight gain and low libido are some of the common symptoms men face when testosterone levels begin to decline, Sadowski added.

About 50 per cent of men will experience symptoms of male menopause sometime during their lives, the study reveals.

The new guidelines have been published in the Canadian Pharmacist Journal and are designed to give pharmacists the tools they need to better screen patients and address risk factors early on.

“Pharmacists may see patients more often than physicians and interact with them more,” Nathan Beahm, the assistant clinical professor, said.

“Pharmacists can engage in screening and ask some initial questions to identify patients who might benefit from treatment.”

Treatment could include checking testosterone levels with a blood test which can be ordered by either a pharmacist or a doctor, the study read. However, testosterone supplements can only be prescribed by a physician.

Further research is being done to determine the exact prevalence of late-onset hypogonadism. The full study can be read here.