Conan O'Brien is riding high these days. He had a successful stint as host of the Academy Awards. Also, he voiced the character of Smarty Pants in Toy Story 5. However, O'Brien, 63, ascribes some recent positive changes in his life not to his intellect or experience, but to male menopause. Yep, that's right, male menopause, also called andropause. Per the New York Post, the phenomenon refers to a normal dip in testosterone levels that many men undergo as they get older. The process is usually slow and unremarkable. However, Conan O'Brien credits it with making him "wiser."
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O'Brien Talked About This on His Podcast
On his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, the comedian said that he discussed the subject of male menopause with his late mother-in-law. Pamela Powel was a psychoanalytic therapist. O'Brien shared that he told her that he felt "less intense" than when he was younger. "I think I'm maturing," he concluded. "And she just said, 'No, no, no. Your testosterone level has just dropped."
He added, "I was trying to credit it all to wisdom. And she was like, 'No, no, no. You just have less of that [expletive] juice running through your body.'"
Testosterone Can Have Wide-Ranging Effects
People often associate testosterone with "masculinity, vitality and sex drive," per the outlet. Nevertheless, one expert says that it can influence much more. Dr. Hal Mohammed, M.D., is the Men's Health Chief Medical Officer at Gameday. That is a network of men's health clinics based in Canada and the United States.
"There's a misconception that testosterone is only about libido and muscle mass," Dr. Mohammed told the Post. "But it definitely influences drive, competitiveness, assertiveness and emotional reactivity." He added, "The short answer is that it can influence energy, libido, some aspects of behavior — but it doesn't define who someone is. Changes in personality are more about life experience, health, environment."
So while Conan O'Brien may attribute his more mellow self to an age-related lowering of testosterone, other factors could be at play as well. The Harvard grad and Brookline, Massachusetts, native is doing really great, regardless of the reason.
