Male menopause
In middle age many men seem to go through something that's been labelled the mid-life crisis. More recently this cluster of distressing physical and emotional symptoms has been likened to the female menopause - but does the male menopause exist?
Strictly speaking men can't have a menopause as such, since the definition of the menopause is the time at which periods cease. However, it's argued that they can go through a male equivalent, called the andropause, that's accompanied by symptoms similar to those experienced by women.
It's claimed that the andropause is hormone-related, just like the female menopause. However, the female menopause is triggered by a dramatic fall in the levels of female hormones, whereas the levels of the male hormone testosterone fall far more gradually over many years. Many 70-year-old men have similar testosterone levels to those of a 20-year-old.

Symptoms of andropause:
poor sex drive
tiredness and fatigue
change in body shape
reduced muscle mass
irritability
sweating
flushing
generalised aches and pains
low mood