Introduction
Gonadal function declines with age, which is due to a combination of factors, including a decline in the activity of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and subsequent decreases in luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which regulate gametogenesis and menopause. However, it remains unclear what causes this decline and whether aging has a differential effect on the gonads of males as compared to that of females. This article will explore the effects of aging on gonadal function in both sexes, how lifestyle choices contribute to menopause and how to maintain hormonal levels.
What Happens in Both Sexes?
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In men, a decrease in testosterone is one of the most important factors. Testosterone is essential for normal sexual function, so this decline can lead to erectile dysfunction and loss of libido. The level of estrogen also decreases significantly with age, which may contribute to the gradual loss of bone mass and increase in body fat observed in many older men.
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In women, there are two major changes: a decrease in ovarian hormone production and an increase in SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) levels that bind to sex hormones such as estrogen before they can be used by tissues such as bone or muscle cells. A decrease in FSH (follicle stimulating hormones) levels leads to decreased ovarian egg release; SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) increases make it more difficult for the weak amounts of circulating estrogens by influencing their physiological effects on their target tissues.
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With increasing age, estrogen increases in men, while estrogen decreases with age in females. With obesity, total testosterone decrease, but free testosterone remains the same.
What Happens in Men?
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Testosterone levels decline with age. The average male testosterone level is 200 to 400 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) when a man is in his twenties, but it drops to 150 to 250 ng/dL by the time he reaches his fiftys.
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In addition to aging, obesity and smoking are two other factors that can lead to low testosterone levels in men. Low testosterone levels are also influenced by alcohol drinking and eating an unhealthy diet.
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Stress and poor sleep can also contribute to lower levels of hormones in men's bodies. Stress increases cortisol production, another hormone that lowers testosterone.
What Happens to Women?
The age of menopause is defined as the time point when menstrual cycles end and occur in women between ages 40 and 60. Menopause has been associated with a decline in sex hormone levels, which can include ovarian follicle numbers, oocyte quality, and quantity.
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These declines may lead to an increase in menstrual symptoms such as irregular periods or heavy menses.
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But also contribute to decreased bone strength.
The decline of ovarian reserve begins shortly after puberty and continues throughout a woman’s lifetime. Studies have found that women with higher baseline FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) levels have lower reproductive outcomes compared to women with lower baseline FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) levels. Women who had their pregnancy at a young age tend to have better ovarian reserve than those who did not conceive until later in life.
How Are Women Affected?
We all know that as we age, our gonadal function will decline, reducing circulating hormones (For example, estrogen and progesterone). This also leads to a host of physical and mental issues, such as memory loss, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness. Menopause also results in vascular aging. Vascular aging represents a steady decline in the body’s ability to respond to stressors, resulting in a gradual decrease in vessel elasticity, dilation, and stiffening with age. Vascular aging is associated with a progressive increase in vascular stiffening, leading to a decrease in compliance, an increase in pulse wave velocity, an increase in large elastic arteries, and stiffness, leading to cardiovascular disorders. These changes are thought to largely reflect on smooth muscle cells and increased collagen deposition.
First, it is important to note that menopause is a natural process. Menopause is not considered destiny, and also it does not mean that you are getting old. Menopause does not indicate weakness for women who experience this transition in life.
Many individuals may be reluctant to accept menopause as natural and normal for many reasons: stigma surrounding aging, negative thoughts associated with loss of fertility, or fear of change, among others. But at its core, menopause involves an alteration in gonadal function - it has little to do with aging itself.
How Are Men Affected?
Testosterone is a major player in the sexual response cycle. Androgens are responsible for many of the physical changes our bodies undergo as we age, such as the loss of muscle mass and the increase in fat mass. It affects our mood, sex drive, ability to perform, and our appearance.
How to Maintain the Hormone Levels?
In men, the gonadal decline is gradual and occurs through a series of events, including changes in testosterone secretion, sperm quantity, and sex drive. By age 60, men will have half as much testosterone as they did at 20 years old. Testosterone levels can be restored with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), but with there are other ways to maintain testosterone at a healthy level naturally by,
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Eat foods rich in protein and zinc.
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Exercise regularly.
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Manage stress.
In women, hormonal changes occur abruptly the following menopause. To prevent or reduce the effects of menopause on women’s health, lifestyle modifications are recommended, including exercise regimens to help maintain bone density and increases in dietary calcium intake to preserve bone mass.
Conclusion:
In summary, gonadal function decreases with age in both sexes. The physiological and biochemical mechanisms that underlie the aging process remain largely obscure, but it is hypothesized that a combination of genetic, epigenetic, immune, and hormone factors likely contribute to the aging process. There are a variety of reasons why this occurs, but ultimately it has to do with changes in the gonads themselves or changes that occur in the sensitivity of cells to gonadal hormones.
