What are the hormonal changes that occur for men and women with age?
And how is it dealt with?
Is it related to the high rate of corona deaths among men?
Does immunity play a role in this?
The answers are in this report.
The gonads are the main source of sex hormones, and they are represented in the testes in males, and they secrete hormones called androgens, the most important of which is testosterone, and these hormones regulate the physical changes associated with sexual development.
In females, the ovaries are the gonads, they produce eggs and secrete the female hormones: estrogen and progestogen.
Hormonal changes in men
We start with hormonal changes in men, as the Mayo Clinic website says that the production of the male hormone "testosterone" and other hormones decreases in men over many years and the consequences are not necessarily obvious, and this is different from women, where ovulation ends and hormone production decreases during the period Relatively short time, which is known as menopause.
In men, this gradual decline in testosterone levels is called "late-onset hypogonadism" or "age-related low testosterone", and the age associated with this decline is usually 40.
How can low testosterone levels be recognized?
A man's testosterone levels decline, on average, by about 1% per year after the age of 40.
But for most older men, their testosterone levels are still within the normal range, with only an estimated 10% to 25% having levels considered low.
Low testosterone levels in older men often go unnoticed, and many men with low testosterone levels do not experience any symptoms.
Additionally, the signs and symptoms associated with low testosterone aren't specific to low testosterone. They can also occur due to a person's age, medication use, or other conditions, such as having a body mass index of 30 or higher, according to Mayo Clinic.
However, signs and symptoms that suggest low testosterone include:
decreased libido
Erectile dysfunction
Breast discomfort or swelling
infertility
Men's height decline
Low bone mineral density
hot flashes or sweating
Low energy and motivation
Low mood and depression
poor focus
increased drowsiness
Sleep disorders
Unexplained mild anemia
Decreased muscle size and strength
increase body fat
What is the treatment?
According to MayoClinic, recommendations regarding testosterone therapy for men with age-related low testosterone vary.
In 2020, the American College of Physicians recommended that doctors consider starting testosterone therapy in men with sexual dysfunction who want to improve their sexual function, after explaining the risks and benefits.
Some experts also recommend testosterone therapy for men with age-related low testosterone without signs or symptoms.
Although more research is needed, testosterone therapy may stimulate the growth of metastatic prostate cancer and breast cancer.
Testosterone therapy may also increase the risk of heart attack and stroke and contribute to the formation of blood clots in the veins.
Before beginning treatment, discuss treatment options with your doctor, their benefits for your situation, and their various risks.
Hormonal changes in women
In a report published by the "Marie Claire" website in its Russian version, nutrition expert and endocrinologist, Oksana Mikhaleva, says that hormonal changes are mainly related to the genetic programming with which a person is born, but the woman's body is also affected by a number of other factors such as lifestyle, environment, nutrition, diseases and interventions. medical.
A woman goes through hormonal changes that can be observed at different stages:
age twenty
The writer explains that girls when they reach the stage of their twenties stabilize their menstrual cycle, which is supposed to occur at least 8 times annually.
Dr. Oksana adds that changes in the period of the cycle may range between 3 and 5 days for those who are in good health, and if the change exceeds this period, it is necessary to go to an endocrinologist or a gynecologist.
The doctor advises to monitor it by writing down all the notes of your menstrual cycle in a diary.
The writer points out the need to be wary of various hormonal problems in the twenties, and to pay attention to genetic factors.
If many family members are overweight, you should pay attention to dietary behavior and exercise.
What is required here is not to adhere to a harsh diet, but to act consciously and focus on healthy food.
And if some family members have thyroid diseases, you must undergo a medical examination to measure the level of thyroid stimulating hormone, at least once every 2 or 3 years.
age 30
This age period is characterized by the tendency of most women towards pregnancy and breastfeeding (in societies where women marry late and give birth late, but if they marry and give birth in their twenties, this also applies to them).
It is recommended - in general - to plan for pregnancy early, given that many women in the current era suffer from endocrine diseases.
In this context, it is recommended to undergo a periodic examination to verify the activity of the thyroid glands, in order to pay attention to the presence of any problems, because this can hinder a woman's dreams of having children, since it is considered one of the causes of infertility, and also affects the normal growth of the fetus, especially during Form the nervous system.
It is also recommended to measure the level of glucose to rule out the possibility of developing diabetes.
Dr. Mikhaleva recommends checking the level of calcium and vitamin D (D), in order to treat any deficiency in the body.
For women who suffer from excess weight, before planning pregnancy, they must work to reduce weight in order to increase the chances of pregnancy and to banish the specter of gestational diabetes.
In addition, it is necessary to get folic acid during the period of preparation for pregnancy, and for 12 weeks after it occurs.
age forty
By the forties, fertility problems appear, and the woman is supposed to have given birth to children and it is time to focus only on maintaining her hormonal health and quality of life, according to the writer.
At this stage, it is important to pay close attention to the regularity of the menstrual cycle, with the approach of menopause and the decline in egg production.
In the event of any disturbances in these functions, you should go directly to a gynecologist or an endocrinologist.
At this stage, Dr. Mikhaleva recommends getting a blood glucose test once every 3 years, to detect any disorders in carbohydrate metabolism.
She also recommends testing the level of thyroid stimulating hormone, once every two or three years.
This is necessary because the problem of hypothyroidism is common at this age, and it can be detected and treated early, to prevent problems of early aging, memory deterioration, depression, weight gain, and other problems associated with a lack of thyroid hormones.
The author also points out the importance of monitoring vitamin D levels, and eating enough calcium, in order to prevent osteoporosis.
What about the difference in corona deaths between women and men?
Writer Marie Dossange says in a report published by the French magazine "Presse Sante", that there are hormonal and genetic factors that explain the difference in the immune response between men and women, as it has been scientifically proven that the effectiveness of the immune system in women is better than that of men in the face of the emerging corona virus, which is This provides a logical explanation for the disparity in the number of deaths between the sexes since the spread of Covid-19.
The writer confirms that clear differences in the immune response between women and men have been observed in the face of the Corona virus, as data collected from China, Europe and the United States indicate that men and women are infected with the virus in close proportions, but men often suffer from more serious complications, and face the risk of death. The rate is twice higher than that of women.
According to scientific data, in general, females have a more active immune response, and evidence has shown that female sex hormones play a major role in this increased immune response.
Clearly, female sex hormones have distinct effects on T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, or "mononuclear phagocytes".
The presence of sex hormone receptors on immune cells indicates that the effect of female sex hormones on these cells is mediated by these receptors.
Stronger immune system in women
A study published in the journal Nature indicates that this phenomenon is due to the fact that the immune balance in women is better than in men. When a viral infection occurs, the first line of defense is innate immunity.
In this case, a high-intensity inflammatory response raises the alarm, thus recruiting cells specialized in recognizing foreign objects.
These cells are the "B lymphocytes" that produce antibodies (antibodies) and "T lymphocytes" that are responsible for destroying the infected cells.
This means that the initial inflammation is important for initiating action against the virus, but the response of the B and T lymphocytes is the most important step to effectively neutralizing the virus.
T cells... a woman's secret weapon
When comparing men and women with COVID-19, the researchers found that the inflammatory response was strongly present in the majority of men, but that women had high levels of lymphocytes that specialize in eliminating the virus.
The researchers observed lower rates of lymphocyte production in most men, which is closely linked to serious complications of the disease, while those who enjoyed higher levels of T cells were more stable.
On the other hand, researchers note that the production of T cells in men decreases significantly with age, in contrast to women who maintain high levels of these cells even after the age of 90.
Given that the vast majority of deaths from Covid-19 were recorded among people aged 75 or older, it is possible that T-cell deficiency played a major role in the higher mortality rate in older men, according to the author.