New Asia Pacific Men’s Health Awareness Survey:

1 in 2 men suffers from TDS-related symptoms, and yet has never heard about the condition A new survey in 1,000 men above 45 years of age shows that majority of them (79 percent) have either not heard about TDS before or are not sure what it is. Nearly 3 in 4 men (74 percent) claim to be in good or excellent health, but in reality, only half of them (52 percent) go for regular health check. Close to 1 in 5 men (19 percent) have never done it at all, and less than half (48 percent) would be interested in getting their testosterone (most important male hormone) levels checked. Traditional masculine norms and social expectations of men have in the past actually encouraged men to put their health at risk . In order to provide holistic health care solutions for men above 45, Bayer Schering Pharma Asia Pacific conducted a men’s health awareness survey between August to September 2008 in five countries, namely Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. In the survey, ‘health and well-being’ is found to be the top lifestyle priority (95 percent feel that it is very important or important), ‘having a good sexual life’ is ranked fifth most important (68 percent), more so than pursuing hobbies or sports (62 percent). While “preventing illness” is the number one reason for keeping healthy and a good well-being (47 percent), even more critical in Thailand (67 percent), on the other hand, ‘staying sexually active’ is mentioned amongst the top three reasons a lot more amongst Australians and South Koreans (22 and 18 percent) than in the other countries (only 7 percent).When asked specifically on their health concerns, ‘lack of energy/physical tiredness’ (27 percent) and ‘reduced muscle mass and strength’ (26 percent) is a greater concern amongst South Koreans, while ‘weight gain and increased body fat’ (29 percent) bothers the Australians. Both Australian and South Korean men are also more concerned with the ‘loss of sexual desire or erectile dysfunction’ (40 and 38 percent) as compared with men in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand (only 19 percent). In fact, these health concerns are signs of impaired health and are often faced by men as they age, as many as 1 in 2 (52 percent) respondents claim to be suffering from these symptoms, which have been found to be associated with Testosterone-Deficiency-Syndrome (TDS). The risk of TDS increases after the age of 50 years, and has been shown to affect 12 percent of men between 48 and 79 years of age. TDS is a health condition associated with an overall decline in physical, mental and sexual health and well-being due to the loss of testosterone in men as they age. Several studies have confirmed that the levels of testosterone decrease with age, starting from 40 years of age by approximately 1.2 percent per year, and a man would have lost approximately 35 percent of his originally active testosterone by 70 years of age. , If left untreated, TDS can have serious consequences in men’s overall health as it has been shown to co-exist with Erectile Dysfunction (ED), cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. , TDS may significantly decrease a man’s quality of life as he grows older. On the contrary, men with normal testosterone levels tend to live longer than men with TDS, as shown in a study on three groups of men with varying levels of testosterone. These results suggest that the monitoring of testosterone levels should be considered in patients with underlying medical conditions.
Check for T to restore men’s health Men are regarded as having low testosterone (T) levels if their blood testosterone levels are below 12 nmol/L. The condition is reversible with effective and long-term treatment now available as Testosterone undecanoate treatment, the long-lasting testosterone injection that restores men’s overall health with only about four injections a year. An intramuscular injectable formulation of testosterone undecanoate works by supplying testosterone that acts in the same way as the naturally produced testosterone on the target areas, thereby maintaining testosterone levels in the blood constantly within the normal range for about three months. , , , Since treating TDS may uncover other treatable medical conditions, an integrated approach is recommended for these patients by using a PDE-5 inhibitor for immediate relief of ED symptoms, and providing treatment for low testosterone with Testosterone undecanoate treatment. Bayer Schering Pharma and its Men’s Healthcare franchise provide a unique, modern, dynamic and holistic approach to enable men’s healthcare professionals to successfully treat patients with TDS and “restore the man”.