Men's Health Knowledge Centre
Hypogonadism
Epidemiology
Population projections from the United Nations indicate that diseases associated with aging will increase significantly during the first half of this century. The population older than 60 years will increase from worldwide 593 millions in 1999 to 1.97 billions in 2050, constituting about 10% of the total world population in 1999 and 22% in 2050, with the majority in developed countries1. Under the assumption that the mean serum testosterone level decreases (with great inter-individual differences) 1% per year after age 50, biochemical hypogonadism is detected in about 20% of men over 60 years. Combined with the demographic projections, a rough, though conservative estimate of (biochemically) hypogonadal men, would be 40 mio in 1999 and 160 mio in 2050. Other authors describe a decline of serum testosterone by 1.2% a year from the age 40 on2, which could increase the number of hypogonadal men substantially.
Figure. 1: Worldwide demographic development1
References:
1. United Nations Department for Economical and Social Information and Policy Analysis. http://www.un.org./esa/population/publications/aging99/fa99.html.
2.Gray A, HA Feldman, JB McKinlay, C Longcope: Age, disease, and changing sex hormone levels in middle-aged men: results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1991; 73:1016 – 1025.