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Testosterone gel helping men overcome 'male menopause' WASHINGTON (July 9, 2001 11:05 a.m. EDT - http://www.nandotimes.com) - Every morning after his shower, Kenneth Albrecht rubs his shoulders and chest with a transparent gel. In a few minutes, the testosterone disappears into his body. "I was very tired all the time. I did not understand why and also I was not able to perform sexually the way I wanted to," said Albrecht, 61, a retiree who lives in Medford, New Jersey. "I did not know if that was because I was getting older or what it was." But his life has changed dramatically ever since doctors prescribed the testosterone gel, he said. "I feel better. I am not tired all the time. I have a better sex life. There is definitely an improvement." Exit Viagra and enter hormone therapy. Men across the country are refusing to accept that a decline in age often means a drop in energy, and are waging war against the drop in testosterone known as "male menopause." Long a secret weapon among athletes, hormone use has lost much of its stigma and is on the rise in the U.S., with some forms even available at local pharmacies and private anti-aging clinics. At the age of 50 men produce 20 to 25 percent fewer testosterone hormones, growth hormones, melatonin and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) than at age 30. The effects of these hormonal deficits include a decrease in bone and muscle density, fatigue, declining energy levels and a drop in the libido. Up until old age men actually continue to produce testosterone, though in decreasing quantities. But, approximately 20 percent of men between the ages of 60 and 80 experience an especially steep hormonal drop, according to medical specialists. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year approved Androgel, the first gel containing testosterone designed to counter male menopause. Bob Dudley, chairman of Unimed, the firm that markets Androgel, warns that the product is not for everyone, but is intended for the 20 to 25 percent of men in their late 50s and 60s who have low testosterone levels, he said. "There is a greater awareness and acceptance among men to talk about and recognize that testosterone levels decrease with age and that you can do something about it," he said. While the market for Androgel is potentially enormous, for the moment the product is available only by prescription because of the risks associated with its use, doctors warn. The use of supplements can result in blocking the body's natural output of male hormones. And excessive testosterone levels are likely to involve sterility. By FRANCIS TEMMAN, Agence-France Presse Copyright 2001 Nando Media http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/v-text/story/40035p-632072c.html janet paterson: an akinetic rigid subtype, albeit perky, parky . pd: 54/41/37 cd: 54/44/43 tel: 613 256 8340 email: [log in to unmask] . snail mail: 375 Country Street, Apt 301, Almonte, Ontario, Canada, K0A 1A0 . a new voice: the nnnewsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/janet313/ . a new voice: the wwweb site: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn