Up to 8 million American men suffer from low testosterone, but only 5 percent seek treatment. Anything below 300 nanograms of testosterone per deciliter is low. Andropause is the most accepted cause of decreasing testosterone levels in men. Calling the decrease of testosterone "male menopause" is inaccurate because unlike female menopause, which occurs within a defined period of time, andropause is a gradual change in male physiology. HISTORY The Journal of the American Medical Association first addressed symptoms and treatment of andropause in 1944. Limited progress has been made since then because men are reluctant to acknowledge their symptoms and because treatment options and theories about the condition are so divergent. CAUSES Decreased production of testosterone from the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal...
