Przegląd Menopauzalny

Abstract

4/2020 vol. 19
Special paper

Changes of androgens levels in menopausal women

  1. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Medical University, Lodz, Poland
  2. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital Research Institute, Lodz, Poland
Menopause Rev 2020; 19(4): 151-154
Online publish date: 2021/01/07
View full text
Confronting perimenopausal women’s knowledge of coronary heart disease with their health behaviours. Controversial role of hormone replacement therapy in the protection of coronary heart disease
Androgens play an important role in women’s health. They are responsible for the sexual well-being and for maintaining proper structure and function of genitourinary woman’s tract. In menopausal period a relative increase in androgens level is observed as a result of dramatic demise of estrogens and increase of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). However, the response of target tissue depends on its ability to control androgens availability. In menopausal women the symptoms of both hyperandrogenemia and of androgens deficiency may be observed. Hyperandrogenemia may result in discrete symptoms, such as slight terminal facial hair grow, or worsening of scalp hair loss. Those symptoms should not be belittled in any of the cases, especially when their severity increases one should seek possible causes of postmenopausal hyperandrogenemia.

Ovarian and adrenal aging, leading to a progressive decline in androgen levels, may exert detrimental effects on the quality of life. During menopause, changes in activation of particular brain spheres are connected with low sex hormone concentration and correlate with loss of sexual arousability. Hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction (HSDD) may be the direct result of androgens deficiency in menopausal women. It is the only evidence-based indication for the use of testosterone in women. However, before treatment, other diseases must be excluded that might alternatively be the cause of HSDD.
Share
without publication fees