Memory Loss in Men

Memory Loss and Hormones: A Common Symptom of Low Testosterone

Memory loss is more than just occasionally being forgetful. It can negatively affect your job performance and safety. Memory loss is the decreased ability to focus, along with difficulty recalling information. As with many symptoms of male hormone imbalance, memory loss is often assumed to be “a natural part of aging”. However, many factors can cause cognitive decline and loss of memory, including:

Fortunately, most of these issues can be corrected with proper treatment

How Hormones Affect Memory and Cognitive Ability

Estrogen: Estrogen directly influences memory and learning. Brain volume declines, particularly in areas associated with memory and critical thinking, when estrogen levels decline. Estrogen protects nerve cells from injury due to low blood sugar, lack of blood supply, inflammation, and oxidative stress (damage from free radicals). Estrogen may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by decreasing beta-amyloid plaque formation and influencing the concentration of neurotransmitters (chemicals used for communication in the brain) such as serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and acetylcholine.

Cortisol: Chronic over-secretion of the stress hormone cortisol may significantly decrease or completely prevent the brain from forming new memories and accessing existing memories.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA): DHEA levels, which naturally decline with age, are linked to memory loss and decreased mental function.

Testosterone: Protects brain cells from toxic beta-amyloid, which has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.

Pregnenolone: Pregnenolone can boost levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The loss of acetylcholine is associated with cognitive decline.

Thyroid: Thyroid hormone deficiencies are associated with poor concentration, memory disturbances and depression.

You are not helpless when confronted with memory loss. Correcting deficiencies in nutrition and improving fitness, as well as balancing and restoring hormones with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, can offer help with memory issues while creating the foundation for a healthier and happier life