Prof. David Handelsman, Director, ANZAC Research Institute
http://www.anzac.edu.au asks
What is the SECRET OF HEALTHY AGING IN MEN?
A research team at the Andrology Department of Concord Hospital’s ANZAC Research Institute is interested in this question and collaborates with the Prince Henrys Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne to evaluate the testosterone levels of healthy Australian men over 40 years of age.
Thanks to improved health Australia will see men over the age of 65 nearly triple from the present 1.4 million to an estimated 3.6 million in 2051. As a result a key National Research Priority is to promote healthy, enjoyable and productive independent living for older men for as long as possible.
One widely discussed possibility to improve the health of older men could be testosterone treatment. Testosterone is the major male sex hormone and it decreases gradually with age. Restoring levels to those of young men might reverse some physical ailments of older men. However, it is not yet clear if and when such treatment is needed or whether it is beneficial. That probably depends on how well maintained or low a man’s own blood testosterone levels are.
A crucial first step in deciding whether testosterone treatment for middle aged and older men might be useful is to establish reliable normal ranges for blood testosterone levels of healthy men as they get older. This would help work out which men might benefit from treatment and who do not need treatment. Though it is already known from other studies in Australia and overseas that testosterone levels do decline slowly with age, previous studies had methods that were not sufficiently reliable to provide a proper guide for such treatment for Australian men.
For this purpose the research team is evaluating the health of 200 men at 5 short visits over a period of three months. No drug treatments are administered, but extensive blood testing will be performed.
This study is supported by the MBF Foundation.
If you are interested in being a part of this study that may be changing the way aging is treated in the 21st century you can be a part of this study.
OR if you know a man over 40 who feels very well, he might be an ideal candidate for the “HEALTHY MAN STUDY”!
Interested men please call the Andrology department on: (02) 9767 7222 or e-mail to: healthyman@anzac.edu.au
