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Andropause and Metabolic Syndrome or Something New About Testosterone

By Dr. Neli Stoyanova

It is well known that andropause affects the waistline, and is related to metabolic syndrome.

What is metabolic syndrome, and why should men care about it?

Here is the definition of metabolic syndrome. Recent data show that the decline of testosterone and daily amount of stress contribute to the accumulation of abdominal fat, which is part of the metabolic syndrome (hence andropause and metabolic syndrome).

But how is testosterone related to the level of fasting triglycerides or blood sugar?

A cross-sectional study of 1,565 men age 55 and older (conducted in Sweden, Tromso and at UCSD in La Jolla) found that high testosterone levels were associated with lower triglycerides levels. No surprise here because this correlation was already documented in previous studies.

However, the surprising part was that the men with low levels of testosterone increased their triglycerides over the day, while the men who had high levels of testosterone did not increase. In addition, there was a positive relation with high testosterone levels and higher HDL levels.

This is to say that not only andropause and metabolic syndrome are related but higher testosterone level are potentially preventive for metabolic syndrome and your heart.

The relationship between waist circumference and testosterone level has also been studied. The results show that men with waist circumference below 37 inches (94 cm) had the highest testosterone level.

The men with the lowest free testosterone levels had the biggest bellies but were otherwise skinny. I always stress on this finding which is an illustration of the fact that it is all about abdominal obesity not about overall obesity.

Many people who are not generally obese think that they are protected against metabolic syndrome or heart disease or high blood pressure.

The message I want to send here is that if your waistline is above 40 inches (102 cm) you better do something about it. The bigger the belly, the lower the testosterone levels, and the higher the risk for heart disease is.

The scientific study I mentioned (the Tromso study) is not the only one that shows that andropause and metabolic syndrome are related. Low testosterone has been linked to insulin resistance and glucose level. Also, many studies have confirmed that men with diabetes have the lowest levels of free testosterone.

The Rotterdam study actually showed that if a man after the age of 40 has one or two (or more) of the metabolic risk factors he has a trend in lowering his testosterone levels. The Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor study established that the risk of developing heart disease doubled for men who were in the lower testosterone levels.

Baby boomers men be aware of andropause and metabolic syndrome. The fact that you are reading this page gives you a big advantage because now you are familiar with andropause and metabolic syndrome, and the heart risks it entails.

I guess I made my point clear- the testosterone declines during andropause and metabolic syndrome is a real danger for your heart, but to make things worse the excess cortisol from chronic stress lowers testosterone even further.

I see people on a daily basis who complain from not being able to get rid of their big waistline no matter how hard they try to eat right and exercise regularly. A baby boomer told me that he was running 3 miles every day and eating low-fat diet and still no results. I asked him: What about your sleep habits? What about your stress at work?

It is frustrating to see how many people do not use stress relief solutions available to them, simply because they are not aware of them. This is what prompted me to start this web site.

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