Yes and no. In fact, Andropause was first described in medical literature in the 1940's. So it's not really new. But, our ability to diagnose it properly is. Sensitive tests for bioavailable testosterone weren't available until recently, so Andropause has gone through a long period where it was underdiagnosed and undertreated. Now that men are living longer, there is heightened interest in Andropause and this will help to advance our approach to this important life stage which was identified so long ago.
Another reason why Andropause has been underdiagnosed over the years is that symptoms can be vague and can vary a lot among individuals. Some men find it difficult to admit that there's even a problem. And often physicians didn't always think of low testosterone levels as a possible culprit. So these factors often lead doctors to conclude that symptoms were related to other medical conditions (i.e. depression) or were simply related to aging and often encouraged their patients to accept that "they were no longer spring chickens". But this situation is changing. New blood testing methods are available and there is an increased interest in mens' aging among medical researchers. In fact, so much attention is being focussed on Andropause that major efforts are underway to quickly share emerging scientific information with Canadian physicians.