《TAIPEI TIMES》 Men urged to check health

By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

The Taiwanese Association of Andrology （TAA） yesterday encouraged men to seek professional medical attention for andrological issues, adding that getting a proper diagnosis and treatment could help improve their life quality and sometimes also reveal other underlying health conditions.

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Raising public awareness of men’s health issues, the TAA yesterday held a seminar in Taipei with several doctors giving public education talks on men’s health issues, while offering a free testosterone blood test and body composition analysis for attendees.

TAA president Tsai Wei-kung （蔡維恭）, a urologist at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, said that a Health and Promotion Administration survey suggested that men on average have a shorter life span and poorer management of obesity and the “three highs” — high blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugar — than women, but more men than women believe they are healthy.

Three important indicators of men’s health issues include testosterone levels, prostate health issues and hardness of penile erections, and these are often also the warning signs for other underlying health conditions, he said.

A study has suggested that in patients with erectile dysfunction, about 29 percent of study participants also have diabetes, 33 percent have hypertension, 27 percent have a testosterone deficiency and about 50 percent have hyperlipidemia, Tsai said, adding that they also have increased risks of cardiovascular disease and strokes.

Taipei Veterans General Hospital physician Huang I-shen （黃奕燊） said after age 30, men’s testosterone levels might decline by 1 to 2 percent per year, and a testosterone deficiency could cause reduced sex drive, fatigue, insomnia and other symptoms that affect quality of life.

TAA deputy secretary-general Lee Wei-chang （李威昌）, a urologist at New Taipei Municipal Tucheng Hospital, said erectile dysfunction is linked to several cardiovascular diseases and have the same risk factors, so the association encourages people to seek professional medical attention as early as possible.

The association said its survey found that over half of patients with erectile dysfunction had first sought solutions on their own, such as adjusting their diet or exercising, while many also tried supplements or medicine purchased on their own; less than 20 percent sought professional medical assistance.

TAA secretary-general Chang Yi-kai, a urologist at National Taiwan University Hospital, said sometimes men with andrological issues have come to the outpatient clinic, but were embarrassed and reluctant to state their problems until a female nurse left the room temporarily, but he encourages men to seek medical assistance and assured them that healthcare workers would respect every patient and keep their health conditions confidential.

Hsu Chih-chen （許志呈）, a urologist at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Taipei Hospital, said that apart from getting medical attention as early as possible, getting sufficient sleep, gaining muscle and losing fat, and managing stress are also ways to improve andrological health.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES