The Hindu Business Line : Andropause worries dog Delhi males

THE travails of modern lifestyle and the ageing process are found to take their toll on young male in Delhi faster that it affects his counterpart in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. And while a healthy lifestyle holds the only key to delaying the onset of age-related problems, the increasing incidence of andropause is becoming a cause for concern, according to Dr Narayana Reddy, President, Indian Andropause Society.

While the symptoms of andropause are commonplace, in that, men in the 40-plus age group experience physical tiredness, lethargy, abdominal obesity, poor concentration levels and reduced interest in sex among other things - they live in a state of denial, he said.

The problem is further compounded by the fact that there is no single specialist to address their problems, as opposed to a gynaecologist who takes care of a whole gamut of women-related issues, he points out.

He recommended that any male experiencing symptoms of andropause contact his family physician first, who could in turn direct him to a specialist. Citing from a study done last year, he said that men are found to age by 35 years in Delhi, as compared to their counterparts in Mumbai who age at 41 years, Kolkata at 51 years and Chennai at 50 years. However, Dr Reddy was unable to fix a reason as to why an individual would age faster in the Capital, as opposed to the other metros.

Given that hospitals and pharmaceutical companies address only parts of the issue, for example: treatment for prostrate-related problems or Pfizer's drug Viagra and its several clones that address erectile dysfunction - Dr Reddy said that there was a need for a more holistic view to the emerging situation.

Prof B. Lunenfeld, Chairman of the International Society for the Study of the Ageing Male (ISSAM), pointed out that about 50 per cent of all men over 65 years will live in India and China, by 2025. Only an improved lifestyle and preventive medicine would help in delaying the inevitable, he said.

Further, he added that the Indian Andropause Society would be affiliated to the ISSAM at the Fourth World Congress of the Ageing Male, to be hosted in Prague next month.