Male and Female Intimacy Dysfunctions

Researchers writing in the medical journal Lancet report on endocrine disease and male and female intimacy dysfunctions.

Bhasin S, Enzlin P, Coviello A, Basson R. Sexual dysfunction in men and women with endocrine disorders. Lancet. 2007 Feb 17;369(9561):597-611

Endocrine disease frequently interrupts sexual function, and sexual dysfunction may signal serious endocrine disease. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy and endothelial dysfunction impair erectile function, and phosphodiesterase inhibition produces only moderate benefit. The effect of diabetes on women’s sexual function is complex: the most consistent finding is a correlation between sexual dysfunction and depression. Reductions in testosterone level in men are associated with low sexual desire and reduced nocturnal erections and ejaculate volume, all of which improve with testosterone supplementation. The age-dependent decline in testosterone production in men is not associated with precise sexual symptoms, and supplementation has not been shown to produce sexual benefit. In women, sexual dysfunction has not been associated with serum testosterone, but this may be confounded by limitations of assays at low concentrations and by the greater importance of intracellular production of testosterone in women than in men. Testosterone supplementation after menopause does improve some aspects of sexual function in women, but long-term outcome data are needed. More research on the sexual effects of abnormal adrenal and thyroid function, hyperprolactinaemia, and metabolic syndrome should also be prioritised. We have good data on local management of the genital consequences of oestrogen lack, but need to better understand the potential role of systemic oestrogen supplementation from menopause onwards in sexually symptomatic women.

Desire, Arousal, and Satisfaction in Aging Women

Researchers writing ion the medical journal Minerva Ginecologica examined issues related to aging and desire and arousal.

Nappi RE, Albani F, Valentino V, Polatti F, Chiovato L, Genazzani AR. Aging and sexuality in women. Minerva Ginecol. 2007 Jun;59(3):287-298.

A large number of biological, psycho-relational and socio-cultural factors are related to women’s sexual health and they may negatively affect the entire sexual response cycle inducing significant changes in sexual desire, arousal, orgasm and satisfaction during the entire reproductive life span.

In spite of the high prevalence of sexual problems with increasing age, sexual retirement is not an inevitable consequence of the passage of time and a high proportion of men and women remains sexually active well into later life, a result of changing attitudes toward sexuality and the availability of effective treatments for sexual dysfunction.

Population-based studies reported an age-related decline of sexual functioning and an additional adverse effect of menopausal status. Ageing per se interferes with the level of sexual performance, but sexual behaviour of midlife and older women is highly dependent on several factors such as general physical and mental well-being, quality of relationship and life situation.

Sex hormones, mainly low levels of estradiol, are relevant for the lack of sexual awareness and vaginal receptivity in naturally menopausal women.

Even diminished levels of androgens, as it more frequently occurs in surgically menopausal women, has a negative impact on desire and sexual responsiveness.

Several hormonal treatments have been used locally or systemically to alleviate sexual symptoms, especially by using estrogen plus androgen preparations and tibolone, with noticeable results on drive, enjoyment, lubrication, ability to reach orgasm and initiation of sex. However, sexual counseling and individualized management is mandatory to obtain meaningful and long-lasting results in clinical practice.

Dr. Darrow Interviewed on KCAL-9 CBS News : Healthwatch

August 3, 2006

Healthwatch this afternoon: Is having dinner in bed the only thing that is hot about your love life, you might want to consider professional help.

Some doctors are using hormones to enhance the love life of some couples. Dilva Henry is here with more.

Dilva Henry: We hope it doesn’t apply to too many people out there, but for many people, definitely an issue. If the sizzle that use to be a big part of your romance has fizzled, there is hope, more and more couples are turning to hormones to get that loving feeling back.

Suzanne A is like many women going through menopause, hot flashes, mood swings, lots of sleepless nights, and her libido almost non-existent.

Suzanne: It was totally a lack of interest, the desire wasn’t there at all, there was no way to make you feel romantic, or ever like it was ever going to be part of your life again.

Husband John: It was frustrating, and it was stressful, it created a lot of anxiety.

Dilva Henry: But husband John tried his best to be considerate and patient.

Suzanne: If it was frustrating, he was very good. I was very lucky in that.

Dilva Henry: John’s patience paid off, Suzanne went through a series of tests checking hormone levels,
results showed her testosterone was also almost non-existent. Anti-Aging specialist, Dr. Marc Darrow:

Dr. Darrow: Her libido was gone, her sensitivity was down because her testosterone was down to nothing and that is usually a very easy thing to revitalize by just using testosterone.

Dilva Henry: And women aren’t the only ones susceptible to a low libido.

Dr. Darrow: Now on the male side we have the same issues as with the female….typically it happens a little later in life. Then we find that there is a loss of libido.

Dilva Henry: Doctors now know hormone supplements can also help men. If you can’t tolerate testosterone for some reason…

Dr. Darrow: Sometimes I give men progesterone, a woman’s hormone? No, it’s a hormone for men.

Dilva Henry: All explained in Dr. Darrow’s upcoming book, Loving Happily Every After

Dr. Darrow: The person has to be able to change their lifestyle in order to become a healthier person, a happier person.

Dilva Henry: And Suzanne did just that

Suzanne: It is very much back, and its back in almost a better way than it was when you were younger. You don’t have the children at home.

Husband John: It made a big difference and it just makes the whole relationship entirely different.

Dilva Henry: They are both happy now, when dealing with hormones it is very important to be in the hands of an expert and not self-medicate or buy products that you, your doctor, or your nutritionist, perhaps are not familiar with. For more information on hormone treatment and testing you can call Dr. Marc Darrow at 310- 231-7000.

She didn’t have any side-effects, really, some people might, but that is another thing that has to be discussed with your doctor. They are very happy they couldn’t be more loving and life is good again. Dinner is back on the table, and everything else is back in the bedroom.

Intimacy and Libido

Quality of Life Issues
Finnish researchers asked women between 42-46 and other women between 52-56 years old, how important issues of libido and intimacy where to their quality of life. The reported their findings in Health and Quality of Life Outcomes.

Sexual activity and perceived health among Finnish middle-aged women.

Ojanlatva A, Makinen J, Helenius H, Korkeila K, Sundell J, Rautava P. Sexual activity and perceived health among Finnish middle-aged women. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2006 May 10;4:29

BACKGROUND: An increasing awareness of the need to address sexual and orgasm experiences as part of life quality and an understanding of the great individual differences between women play roles in women’s health and medical care across the specialities.

Information is lacking as to how negative attitude toward self (NATS) and performance impairment (PI) are associated with sexual activity of middle-aged women. We examined the associations of sexual experience, orgasm experience, and lack of sexual desire with perceived health and potential explanatory variables of NATS and PI.

METHODS: Questionnaire was mailed to 2 population-based random samples of menopausal or soon-to-be menopausal women (n = 5510, 70% response) stratified according to age (42-46 and 52-56 years). In multivariate analyses of the associations with the outcome variables, perceived health, NATS, and PI were used as covariates in 6 models in which exercise, menstrual symptoms, and illness indicators were taken into account as well.

RESULTS: Sexual activity variables were associated with perceived health. When present, NATS formed associations with sexual and orgasm experiences, whereas strenuous exercise formed associations with orgasm among 42-46-year-old women alone. Strenuous exercise was not associated with orgasm experience among older women.

CONCLUSION: NATS and PI are closely tied to orgasm experiences and the meaning of the roles needs to be exposed. Sexual activity deserves to be addressed more actively in patient contact at least with perimenopausal women.

Postmenopause and Periodontal Disease

A recent study in the Journal of Periodontology says that in an 11.7 year follow up, 57.5 percent of women lost at least one tooth after menopause.

Bone loss is to blame!

The American Academy of Periodontology’s press release on this study says “Estrogen deficiency after menopause and consequent loss of bone mineral density have been shown to be associated with increased rate of tooth loss. These relationships may be explained by increased severity of periodontal disease in estrogen deficiency.”

Click here to learn about estrogen deficiency

Risk of Stroke and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Researchers writing in the medical journal Maturitas say that there is no significant association between hormone therapy and risk of total stroke in women during 10.5 years follow-up.

Lia C, Engströma G, Hedblada B, Berglundb G, Janzona L. Risk of stroke and hormone replacement therapy. Maturitas Volume 54, Issue 1 , 20 April 2006.

From the abstract:
Objective
The purpose of this study was to examine the risk of first-ever stroke in relation to use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among middle-aged and older Swedish women.

Materials
A total of 16,906 women, 45–73 years old, from the ‘Diet and Cancer’ study in Malmö, Sweden were examined. Women were considered as HRT users if they took systemic hormone therapy regularly. Incidence of stroke was followed for a mean period of 10.5 years.

Results
In all, 2148 (12.7%) women used HRT. A total of 461 stroke cases occurred during follow-up, 48 of them in HRT users. Incidence of total stroke and ischemic subtype had no significant relation to HRT use. However, an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke was found in women taking unopposed estrogen or un-native estrogen regimens. Although not significantly, the risk of stroke was 33% lower in women who started their treatment before menopause. Among HRT users, the risk of stroke was associated with advancing age, smoking, excess body weight and hypertension.

Conclusions
There is no significant association between hormone therapy and risk of total stroke in women during 10.5

Estrogen and Sun Damaged Skin

Researchers at the University of Michigan Department of Dermatology are currently recruiting subjects to participate in a study to test Estrogen’s effect on the skin. From the study abstract: “The purpose of this study is to investigate the way by which estrogen improves the appearance of sun damaged human skin. Accumulating evidence suggests that estrogen, taken by post menopausal women, may cause skin to look younger as a consequence of reduced wrinkles. Collagen is the most abundant protein in human skin and gives skin its strength and shape. Recent data indicate that short-term topical estrogen (17-beta estradiol) treatment increases collagen production in sun damaged skin. This study will compare the visual and microscopic effects from topical 17-beta estradiol (E2) when applied to the skin for a short-term duration. It is anticipated that the new knowledge from this study will enable development of new ways to improve the function of aged skin.”

More information

Hormone Replacement Therapy and Possible Cardiovascular Benefits in Women

Researchers writing in the medical journal Climacteric say that “Women who receive 2-3 years of HRT after menopause do not have increased all-cause mortality, and results of the present study suggest relative cardiovascular benefits compared to those who had not used hormones.”

Alexandersen P, Tanko LB, Bagger YZ, Qin G, Christiansen C.The long-term impact of 2-3 years of hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular mortality and atherosclerosis in healthy women. Climacteric. 2006 Apr;9(2):108-18.

From the abstract:
OBJECTIVE: The effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on cardiovascular risk is intensely debated. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of HRT given for a few years on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and the severity of atherosclerosis.

METHODS: This analysis was based on a cohort of 1,458 postmenopausal women (55.8 +/- 6.1 years old) who previously participated in a number of randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trials assessing the efficacy of 2-3 years of therapy with various estrogen plus progestin combinations for preventing bone loss.

Women were followed on average for 9.8 years and came for a follow-up visit. Outcome variables were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and the severity of atherosclerosis, as estimated by semi-quantitative scoring of vascular calcification in the lumbar aorta on lateral radiographs.

CONCLUSION: Women who receive 2-3 years of HRT after menopause do not have increased all-cause mortality, and results of the present study suggest relative cardiovascular benefits compared to those who had not used hormones.

What Effects Does Estrogen Have On The Skin?

Researchers have found that “Estrogen loss at menopause has a profound influence on skin.” Writing in the medical journal Climacteric, study authors noted, “Estrogen treatment in postmenopausal women has been repeatedly shown to increase collagen content, dermal thickness and elasticity, and data on the effect of estrogen on skin water content are also promising.” Brincat MP, Baron YM, Galea R. Estrogens and the skin. Climacteric. 2005 Jun;8(2):110-23. Abstract

Women With Higher Levels of Estrogen Have Prettier Faces

Researchers at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland announced that women who had higher amounts of estrogen in their urine were found to be more attractive than women who had lesser amounts. READ IT HERE

 

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