How Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Benefit Men

More and more men are turning to a therapy that was once associated only with menopausal women — hormone replacement therapy. HRT for men can help you restore your energy levels and maintain muscle mass and bone density.

With age, both men and women face a gradual decrease in hormone levels and hormone quality. But when women near menopause, hormonal fluctuations are more apparent. That’s why HRT has been used for years to ease menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and osteoporosis.

Now, the medical community is recognizing that men, too, can benefit from hormone replacement therapy. For example, signs of low testosterone, or male andropause, include a reduction in physical strength, lack of energy, and decreased libido. It's possible, though, to have low testosterone levels without experiencing symptoms, so it’s important to get your hormone levels checked.

At Active Future Solutions, we’ve put together some information about male hormone replacement therapy and its benefits. Here's what you need to know.

Benefits of HRT for Men

Hormone replacement therapy has more benefits for men than you might think. Among them are:

Better bone health

Men with low levels of testosterone can experience an improvement in their mineral density while decreasing bone fractures through HRT. This effect also occurs in postmenopausal women who are on estrogen replacement therapy.

Here’s a surprising statistic: Hip fractures are two to three times as likely to kill older men as women of a similar age and 40% of older male patients die within a year of the injury.

Improved verbal memory and spatial abilities

According to research, men with higher testosterone levels have a decreased occurrence of Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, there's evidence that supports a strong association between the hormone and thinking abilities such as verbal memory.

Leaner body

Testosterone enhances lean body mass and strength and can reduce fat mass. Additionally, the hormone enhances blood counts through the stimulation of erythropoietin.

Other health benefits

There’s some evidence that hormone replacement therapy for men can help control blood sugar levels and keep cholesterol levels under control.

What Determines If a Man Is a Good Candidate for HRT?

When a man comes to us for hormone replacement therapy, we want to be sure he’s a good candidate for the treatment. We perform a physical exam, review your medical history, and administer blood tests to measure hormone levels.

Although low testosterone levels get the most press, testing also checks for:

• A complete blood count
• Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)
• Progesterone
• Thyroid
• Estrogen
• Estradiol
• Prolactin
• Human growth hormone (HGH)
• DHEA
• Iron levels
• Kidney function

Any man who displays symptoms of low levels of hormones may be a candidate for hormone replacement therapy. But if you lack any of the common major symptoms — particularly sexual dysfunction and fatigue — you shouldn’t go on HRT.

Medical conditions you have and medications you take might also affect your hormone levels. In such instances, we don’t recommend HRT. Instead, we treat the underlying condition or alter the dosage of the prescription.

If our team determines that you are a good candidate for male hormone replacement therapy, we create a customized program for you. Because hormone levels can continue to fluctuate, we recommend monitoring to ensure your dosage generates the best outcomes. If you're concerned about your levels of testosterone, contact our Rochester Hills, Michigan, office and schedule an appointment.