Low testosterone levels cause health woes

By Daryll Nanayakara my paper Friday, Mar 30, 2012

On screen, he plays a crimebusting officer, leading a crack team of elite men and women from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, in the TV series Point Of Entry.

But in reality, actor Bernard Tan has suffered for nearly three years from fatigue and a lack of motivation to go about his daily activities - including acting.

"Initially, I thought I was overworked and that I should sleep more. Even after getting enough rest, I still felt that way," the 49-year-old bachelor said yesterday.

But a pamphlet he came across in a clinic recently made him realise that he could be suffering from hypogonadism - or testosterone deficiency syndrome.

"I actually took the pamphlet because I wanted to get the same hairstyle as the male model featured on it," he quipped during a media briefing at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel yesterday.

In the end, he did not get the hairstyle as his hairstylist told him that his hair would have to be damaged in order to achieve the look.

But he did find out what was wrong when he went through a checklist on the pamphlet, which was on hypogonadism.

"I realised that I answered 'yes' to seven of the 10 questions on it," he explained.

He decided to seek treatment for the condition, which typically affects men aged 45 years and older. About one in four men in that age group here has some degree of testosterone deficiency, said medical experts.

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Low testosterone levels cause health woes

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