When someone shares with you something of value, you have an obligation to share it with others.
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Young men hit by libido woes
Here’s some bad news for guys: More Singapore men, some as young as 30, are suffering from loss of sexual interest or function. The reason? They may be testosterone-deficient.
Here’s some bad news for guys: More Singapore men, some as young as 30, are suffering from loss of sexual interest or function. The reason? They may be testosterone-deficient.
The first Singapore prevalence study on the disease showed that more than 12 per cent of Singapore men under the age of 45 suffer from the syndrome.
Data released yesterday by the Society for Men’s Health Singapore (SMHS) showed that about 20 per cent of local men aged 45 years and above, and 43 per cent of those above 70, are also afflicted.
Symptoms of the disease - called hypogonadism - may include osteoporosis, as well as feelings of lethargy, depression and irritability, said SMHS president Peter Lim, a urologist.
Professor Lim said: “Previously, people didn’t really take hypogonadism seriously - they thought it was mainly psychological, or that it affects only men above age 70.”
Almost 600 Singapore men, aged 30 to 85, participated in an SMHS health screening programme between October last year and July this year.
The men filled out questionnaires on their sexual, physical and emotional well-being, and participated in blood tests.
Though the disease is more common in older men, Prof Lim said that he has seen three patients in their 30s with complaints of hypogonadism in the last week alone.
One patient, at age 32, “had a low libido and had sex with his wife only once or twice a month”. He was eventually diagnosed with hypogonadism.
The data showed that almost all men with testosterone deficiency reported a decline in sexual function, while 43 per cent had high cholesterol and hypertension.
Hypogonadism is linked to other problems, too. Those suffering from erectile dysfunction, high cholesterol, hypertension or diabetes may develop hypogonadism, and vice versa.
Hormone-replacement therapy via either oral medication, patches or injections is the standard treatment for hypogonadism, said Dr Ho Siew Hong, a consultant urologist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, who was involved in releasing the data.
Viagra - often taken to boost flagging libidos - provides only a quick fix, according to Dr Ho.
The effects wear off quickly, and the pill is useless in treating the other symptoms, such as lethargy and depression.
Prof Lim and Dr Ho hope the data will motivate Singapore men to go for early screening for hypogonadism.
Said Prof Lim: “This data is a wake-up call for Singapore to look after the health of its men more pre-emptively.”
1 comment:
Young men hit by libido woes
By Dawn Tay
5 November 2008
Here’s some bad news for guys: More Singapore men, some as young as 30, are suffering from loss of sexual interest or function. The reason? They may be testosterone-deficient.
The first Singapore prevalence study on the disease showed that more than 12 per cent of Singapore men under the age of 45 suffer from the syndrome.
Data released yesterday by the Society for Men’s Health Singapore (SMHS) showed that about 20 per cent of local men aged 45 years and above, and 43 per cent of those above 70, are also afflicted.
Symptoms of the disease - called hypogonadism - may include osteoporosis, as well as feelings of lethargy, depression and irritability, said SMHS president Peter Lim, a urologist.
Professor Lim said: “Previously, people didn’t really take hypogonadism seriously - they thought it was mainly psychological, or that it affects only men above age 70.”
Almost 600 Singapore men, aged 30 to 85, participated in an SMHS health screening programme between October last year and July this year.
The men filled out questionnaires on their sexual, physical and emotional well-being, and participated in blood tests.
Though the disease is more common in older men, Prof Lim said that he has seen three patients in their 30s with complaints of hypogonadism in the last week alone.
One patient, at age 32, “had a low libido and had sex with his wife only once or twice a month”. He was eventually diagnosed with hypogonadism.
The data showed that almost all men with testosterone deficiency reported a decline in sexual function, while 43 per cent had high cholesterol and hypertension.
Hypogonadism is linked to other problems, too. Those suffering from erectile dysfunction, high cholesterol, hypertension or diabetes may develop hypogonadism, and vice versa.
Hormone-replacement therapy via either oral medication, patches or injections is the standard treatment for hypogonadism, said Dr Ho Siew Hong, a consultant urologist at Gleneagles Medical Centre, who was involved in releasing the data.
Viagra - often taken to boost flagging libidos - provides only a quick fix, according to Dr Ho.
The effects wear off quickly, and the pill is useless in treating the other symptoms, such as lethargy and depression.
Prof Lim and Dr Ho hope the data will motivate Singapore men to go for early screening for hypogonadism.
Said Prof Lim: “This data is a wake-up call for Singapore to look after the health of its men more pre-emptively.”
Post a Comment