HRT in San Francisco and Beverly Hills, California
What Happens As We Age?
As we age, there are changes that we all too often accept as inevitable consequences of getting older. Most commonly these include:
Decreased energy levels – we just don't have the "pep" we had when we were younger
Loss of mental acuity – poor memory, focus, concentration, drive or mental outlook
Increased body fat and decreased muscle tone
Loss of strength and/or endurance
Not getting the results from our exercise that we should
Longer recovery from exercise
Decreased libido and sexual performance
Poor sleep
These changes occur gradually, thus giving us time to get somewhat use to them, even if we don't like them. However, some of these changes are due to declines in our metabolic and hormonal status, and can be corrected, resulting in improvements in our overall health as well as quality of life.
Andropause is a term that is generally used to describe the decline in testosterone levels as men age. However testosterone is not the only hormone affected. Beginning around the age of 25, a variety of hormones (DHEA, testosterone, thyroid, growth hormone and others) begin to decline at various rates. Hormonal decline can be accelerated by various illnesses as well as other conditions such as head trauma/concussions. These hormonal declines are associated with an increase in heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, to name a few.
While some say that hormones decline as a result of aging, many of the changes and diseases that we associate with the aging process are a direct result of hormonal loss.