Men above 44 years old, especially those taking prescription medications, were found to be more susceptible to experiencing palpable gynecomastia, a medical condition that causes enlarged man breasts.
Gynecomastia is the presence of an enlargement or excess of the glandular component of the breast. A hormone imbalance primarily causes this medical condition. Certain medications may contain side effects that can cause a hormonal disturbance, which can lead to the development of glandular type gynecomastia.
Medications for high cholesterol (statin), bacterial infections (amoxicillin) and gastrointestinal diseases (proton pump inhibitors) are at higher risk of developing gynecomastia.
Case reports in 2018 on “Statin Medications And The Risk Of Gynecomastia1” have suggested an increased risk of gynecomastia with statins, a class of drugs often prescribed to help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. Medications in the form of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and amoxicillin, commonly used in the treatment of a wide variety of bacterial infections, have also been shown to cause gynecomastia in users2.
References
Skeldon, S. C., Carleton, B., Brophy, J. M., Sodhi, M., & Etminan, M. (2018). Statin Medications And The Risk Of Gynecomastia. Clinical Endocrinology, 89(4), 470-473. doi.org/10.1111/cen.13794 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cen.13794
He, B., Carleton, B., & Etminan, M. (2019). Risk Of Gynecomastia With Users Of Proton Pump Inhibitors. Pharmacotherapy: The Journal Of Human Pharmacology And Drug Therapy, 39(5), 614-618. doi.org/10.1002/phar.2245 https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/phar.2245
Gynecomastia in your 50s is possible! The development of the ‘man boob’ can happen during puberty and even as men age. You can still look good at any age!
Unless you’re George Clooney or Brad Pitt, majority of men do not age as gracefully as they’d like to.
But that’s not to say we can’t slow it down and take a shot at ageing like ChuanDo Tan.
Let us walk you through the ageing process.
This is typically the time men finish serving National Service (NS) and graduate and get a job.
Most men at this age would still put in the effort to look good for school or for work. It is also when they spend a lot of time building and catching up with their social circles.
Staying up to watch soccer with friends or playing games until 3am despite having work or school the next day becomes an unhealthy habit. Especially when junk food is used to fuel those late nights.
And the effects of that unhealthy lifestyle do show. They show up in the form of bumpy skin, duller skin ton, and acne.
If you thought they only appear on your face, acne can spread to the neck and back too. Scratching them or trying to pop them might end up scarring the skin.
30s – The Peak Of Your Career
As men hit the big three-oh, physical changes become more apparent.
The face would probably look more mature than before, perhaps with more facial hair. When before, you had a slim facial silhouette, now you’d have a stronger jawline.
Most men tend to marry and settle down at this age as they progress in their careers, earning enough to comfortably start a family.
But juggling work and family responsibilities can be very tiring.
When you become so busy, you start finding excuses to not exercise despite subscribing to a well-known gym in town. Where did that determination to hit the gym go?
40s – The Peak Of Your Fortune
By this age, most men would have progressed to a good position in the company or have at least achieved most of their career goals.
For many years, they have built their lives around their career, so this is the time they channel most of their energy and time on their family.
This is the time most men develop the dreaded ‘dad bod‘ because there is just “no time” to work out anymore, and that paunch just keeps growing despite the evening runs and weekend swims.
Gynecomastia In Your 50s – The Peak Of Your Health
It might sound ironic, but this is when men (and women) are prone to age-related illnesses.
But work will probably be less hectic as you become so experienced, and the children of the family would be more or less financially independent. This all means lesser stress.
This also gives you the time to focus on your health.
However, as you get prescribed medication for your different ailments, there could be side effects like hormonal imbalance. Hormonal imbalance can cause gynecomastia in your 50s!
The solution: Even though gynecomastia is common during puberty, older men can develop the ‘man boob’ too as a side effect from taking certain medication. The swollen breast gland tissue is what causes gynecomastia.
While you can always go on your regular exercise regimens, that doesn’t mean our bodies can always keep up as we age. Sometimes we need to rely on medicine and science to achieve that ideal body and figure.
When you look good, you feel good; the best thing about embarking on this journey is that you get the health benefits and looking younger than your age.
Even if it is not for the boost in confidence, each of these treatments contributes to your wellbeing and health. You’ll find yourself walking with a skip in your step everyday.
Man boobs (sometimes called moobs, or gynecomastia in the medical world) are actually really common. A Cleveland study found it affects half of all men. Some get it in puberty, but many also develop it when they’re 50 or older.
Why Do Men Get Gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia is not just an aesthetic problem; it is a medical condition. Symptoms include tenderness around the chest area, swelling of the breast gland tissue, and more.
It all boils down to hormones. Both men and women have estrogen and androgen hormones. Women develop breast tissue because they have higher levels of estrogen. But when men have a hormonal imbalance (either their estrogen goes up, or their androgen goes down) they can develop gynecomastia too.
That is why gynecomastia is very common among older men. As we age, testosterone goes down. We also tend to gain weight, and since fat cells are estrogenic (meaning they can disrupt the balance between testosterone and estrogen) this causes the glandular tissue to swell even more.
Improper steroid use by athletes or body builders can also create moobs because the pills can increase estrogen levels. Some diseases – like liver disease and hyperthyroidism – can also lead to enlarged male breasts.
Can We Get Rid of Moobs or Gynecomastia Through Exercise and Diet?
Even slim men can develop gynecomastia, and hours of bench-pressing aren’t going to change the shape or size. All heavy weightlifting can do is bring up your testosterone levels. This will definitely help bring the condition under control, but it can’t shrink existing moobs.
Crash dieting won’t help either. In fact, there are studies that extremely low calorie diets may make gynecomastia worse. Once you start eating normally again, your moobs will be even larger. Diets will also worsen hormonal imbalances and slow down your metabolism. Starving your body is never a good idea.
Gynecomastia Surgery
Gynecomastia Surgery is the perfect solution to remove the glandular tissue from your chest, which is the cause of man boobs. The procedure is not only safe and effective, it also sculpts the chest area leaving a more defined and masculine appearance.
With this procedure, you can expect a short recovery time, which means little disruption to your daily routine. During the consultation, do inform the doctor of your goals and raise any concerns you might have in regards to the procedure. Your doctor will advise on what to avoid and how to care for the area to avoid infection.
Recovery and Results
There will be some minimal scars since any surgery will involve incisions. Your doctor can conceal them in your natural contours when possible. There are also treatments that can help fade these marks over time. However, the scars won’t stand in the way of enjoying your new contours and increase in confidence.
For many men who suffer from gynecomastia, this surgery ends years of feeling self-conscious and insecure. You’ll be able to wear a fitted shirt or bare your chest at the beach without worrying about how you look like. (Or what people are saying.)
Are You a Candidate for Gynecomastia Surgery?
For personalized information about gynecomastia plastic surgery procedures, please complete Dr. Delgado’s inquiry form.
Man boobs can really crush a guy’s confidence. But there are solutions.
The usual narrative is that only women primp and preen – that the fairer of the sex is more inclined to worry about appearance. But that really isn’t true – in fact, in a recent Men’s Health survey, 32% of men – 45% of them are aged 18 to 34 – have edited or cropped a photo to make themselves look better online. But worst of all – 1 in 20 men have been teased, trolled, or body-shamed on social media about their appearance or weight.
While you shouldn’t be trying to improve your appearance for anyone else but yourself, the fact is there are medical solutions to improve your grooming and appearance.
Let’s start with gynecomastia. Pronounced guy-neh-co-mastia, the Greek word means ‘woman’s breasts’. In today’s vernacular, we call them ‘man boobs’, and the term is used to describe the occurrence of enlarged breast tissues in men. It’s not just an aesthetic problem – it’s a medical condition.
Worst of all – it’s not something you can dispel with just exercise, as most of the time the trouble is enlarged glandular tissue which no amount of exercise or healthy eating can reverse.
What’s the treatment? Your doctor will evaluate your clinical condition and propose an appropropriate treatment plan for you – which may involve gynecomastia surgery with nipple reduction and skin tightening. For most, gynecomastia surgery typically involves a combination of breast gland and fat removal in order to achieve a natural, lean and masculine looking chest.
There’s just as much fact as fiction circulating on the web when it comes to what causes man boob, or gynecomastia. I explain what’s true, and what’s not.
While some women fret about having breasts that are too small, some guys worry about having breasts that are too large. Unfortunately, when they look in the mirror, they seem to have less chest and more breast. If you’re unaware, sometimes it’s not about how much (or how little) they’ve been working out, but rather whether or not they have a condition called gynecomastia, colloquially known as man boobs.
Here’s a breakdown of some myths about this you might have read on the internet.
Myth 1: Your beer habit is why you’ve got man boobs
Logically, alcohol contains calories and carbs, so you’d think drinking is why you’re packing man boobs. Ironically though, a review in Current Obesity Reports found drinkers weigh less than teetotallers! Beer connoisseurs who are fans of Indian Pale Ales (IPA) also tend to worry about a condition known to brewers as “Brewer’s Droop”, another name for man boobs. Why? IPAs contain phytoestrogen, a plant-based estrogen hormone- but the fact is the levels in IPAs are too low to cause significant hormonal imbalances.
Myth 2: Chest workouts are the solution to fix gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is caused by hormone imbalance so while exercising is good, it does not resolve the underlying issue at all. As with women, breasts in men are made up of glandular and fatty tissue. Gynecomastia occurs when excess glandular tissue is produced. When an abundance or excess fat is appearing on the chest area, it is known as pseudogynecomastia (fake gynecomastia), and this condition can be treated with liposuction alone.
Myth 3: Gynecomastia is caused by obesity, not male menopause
Contrary to popular misconception, being overweight is not the only cause of gynecomastia. It may be caused by hereditary and ageing as some men experience physical changes as they get older, which can be caused by male menopause or andropause.
The trouble is, too few men understand the condition: according to a survey reported in the South China Morning Post almost 80% of 500 men interviewed aged above 40 had heard about andropause; yet failed on average in answering questions on its treatment and symptoms.
Its link to man boobs? Testosterone production drops during andropause, and the hormonal imbalance could lead to the development of gynecomastia.
Myth 4: Any doctor can perform a gynecomastia surgery
Nope, not every doctor with an M.D can treat your man boobs. Like every medical speciality, it requires a doctor skilled in gynecomastia surgery, and also one about to give you the best advice from years of experience.
You might also have your own vision on what your chest should look like, and it’s utterly important that you do your research on which doctor can help you achieve that.
For personalized information about gynecomastia plastic surgery procedures, please complete Dr. Delgado’s inquiry form.
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