http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/natio...n/2794243/
Men of America, are you feeling less than maximally macho?
Don't blame testosterone.
Your real problem may be lack of estrogen.
That's right, estrogen — the so-called "female" hormone that produces women's secondary sexual characteristics, such as curvy hips and breasts.
Doctors have known for years that testosterone declines as men age — a process that diminishes everything from upper-body strength and muscle mass to sex drive. The pharmaceutical industry aggressively markets hormone supplements for men anxious about reduced testosterone levels, which drug companies call "low T syndrome."
Yet at least some of the bodily changes seen in aging men — flabbier physique, low libido and erectile dysfunction — come from falling estrogen levels, according to a new study in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Men of America, are you feeling less than maximally macho?
Don't blame testosterone.
Your real problem may be lack of estrogen.
That's right, estrogen — the so-called "female" hormone that produces women's secondary sexual characteristics, such as curvy hips and breasts.
Doctors have known for years that testosterone declines as men age — a process that diminishes everything from upper-body strength and muscle mass to sex drive. The pharmaceutical industry aggressively markets hormone supplements for men anxious about reduced testosterone levels, which drug companies call "low T syndrome."
Yet at least some of the bodily changes seen in aging men — flabbier physique, low libido and erectile dysfunction — come from falling estrogen levels, according to a new study in The New England Journal of Medicine.