Endogenous testosterone and serum lipids in middle-aged men.
BACKGROUND
The role of decreasing testosterone levels influencing lipid metabolism in aging men is not well established.


METHODS
We studied 1619 40 to 69-year old men with andropausal symptoms, who underwent measurements of serum testosterone, triglycerides, total-, and HDL-cholesterol.


RESULTS
Testosterone (mean 15.25 nmol/l+/-5.43 S.D., range 3.6-45.0 nmol/l) correlated directly with HDL-cholesterol (r=0.24, p<0.0001) and inversely with total cholesterol (r=-0.06, p<0.03), triglycerides (r=-0.30, p<0.0001) and body mass index (r=-0.34, p<0.0001), but not with LDL-cholesterol (r=0.05, p=0.09). In multivariate analyses adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, the significant determinants for serum triglycerides were testosterone (beta=-0.03, p<0.0001), age (beta=-0.01, p<0.0001), body mass index (beta=0.039, p<0.0001) and cardiovascular diseases (beta=0.09, p<0.04). The multivariate correlates of HDL-cholesterol included testosterone (beta=0.007, p<0.0001), body mass index (beta=-0.02, p<0.0001) and alcohol consumption (beta=0.02, p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that in aging men low testosterone levels are associated with a potentially atherogenic lipid profile including high triglycerides and low HDL-cholesterol.
Mäkinen
Juuso I
JI
Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Turku, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland. juumak@utu.fi
Perheentupa
Antti
A
Irjala
Kerttu
K
Pöllänen
Pasi
P
Mäkinen
Juha
J
Huhtaniemi
Ilpo
I
Raitakari
Olli T
OT
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D047649:Andropause / Q000502:physiology*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia; D008297:Male; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D013739:Testosterone