Low testosterone more common in certain countries

Testosterone levels vary between countries, and among races, according to experts.

New research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism measured sex hormones among 5,000 men, living in 5 different countries. Men from America were twice as likely to have low testosterone, in comparison with men from Hong Kong and Japan.

Low testosterone has been linked to erectile dysfunction and poor libido. A researcher stated that the results had “important health implications.”

Some doctors say low testosterone is just a symptom of old age. There is no set agreement about how low testosterone has to go before it becomes a problem.

Doctors are unsure why testosterone levels vary between countries. It could be that environmental factors, such as diet and lifestyle, have an impact, because Asian men who lived in the US were just as likely to suffer low testosterone as other American men.

Male menopause?

Reuters, the news agency which reported the story, say these new findings cast doubt on whether ‘male menopause’ exists. Some health experts have suggested that older men go through a period similar to female menopause, where their hormones become more unbalanced. However, Reuters says geographical differences in testosterone cast further doubt on the criteria for male menopause.

Dr. Martin Miner, co-director of the Men's Health Center at The Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, says that low testosterone still needs to be taken seriously as a health problem. He argues that low testosterone can be a marker for problems like obesity and diabetes, and is important for overall health.

Researchers who study male hormone deficiency, he said, believe the condition is "a real medical problem.”