Epidemiology: Late-Onset Hypogonadism in Singapore

Abstract

Singapore’s population is aging rapidly with concurrent increase in life expectancy (74 years). Increased life expectancy and aging inflict social, health, and economic problems. A nationwide, prospective, cross-sectional, validated questionnaire-based survey was conducted in 2001 to assess andropausal symptoms and their potential implications in 228 subjects (between 45 and 70 years) of Chinese (60 %), Malay (20 %), and Indian (20 %) races. In total, 39.5 % of Singaporean males were aware of the term male menopause or andropause and 35 % signified it as normal sign of aging, requiring medical treatment (12 %). Physical- or vasomotor-associated problems were found to be more predominant (32 %) than psychological (28.9 %) and sexual (12.3 %) problems. Lack of physical energy (73.7 %) and pains in bones and joints (53.1 %) were the most commonly felt physical problems, whereas memory impairment (47.4 %) and irritability (41.7 %) constituted the psychological symptoms. Absence of nocturnal erection, lack of sexual excitement, loss of interest in sex, failures in sexual act, and poor erections dominated the sexual problems in 50.9, 42.1, 41.7, 41.2, and 38.2 % of subjects, respectively. A significant proportion of population (81.2 %) reported that treatment is necessary for andropause and 45.6 % preferred treatment with a general practitioner. In Singaporean aging men, diminishing sexual function (75 %) including ED (51.5 %) and lack of physical energy (73.7 %) were the predominant andropausal symptoms requiring treatment. Singaporeans preferred natural approaches for andropausal symptoms (84.2 %), and 39.9 % cited treatment is not necessary. Among the andropausal symptoms in Singaporean men, lowered sexual function figured the highest and most important symptom. As the proportion of aging men likely to increase in the near future, providing better quality of life has become a necessity in these populations with the potential assessment of male menopause.