Higher testosterone levels are associated with increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in men with cardiovascular disease: results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study.
OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship between circulating androgens (total testosterone [TT], free testosterone [fT] and dihydrotestosterone [DHT]) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in men with and without cardiovascular disease (CVD).


METHODS
Cross-sectional analyses included 1 661 baseline samples from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study (MMAS), a population-based cohort of men ages 40-70 years. Serum hormones were measured by radioimmunoassay and HDL-C was determined following precipitation of the lower density lipoproteins. CVD was determined by self-report. Analyses were performed using multiple linear regression.


RESULTS
TT and HDL-C were positively correlated in the entire sample (r=0.11, P=0.0001). After adjusting for confounders, we found this relationship was mostly limited to the 209 men with CVD. Among men with CVD, TT (P=0.0004), fT (P=0.0172) and DHT (P=0.0128) were all positively correlated with HDL-C, whereas in men without CVD only TT correlated with HDL-C (P=0.0099).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that if androgens contribute to CVD in middle-aged men, the effect is not related to a suppressive effect of endogenous T on HDL-C.
Page
Stephanie T
ST
Department of Medicine, University Of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. page@u.washington.edu
Mohr
Beth A
BA
Link
Carol L
CL
O'Donnell
Amy B
AB
Bremner
William J
WJ
McKinlay
John B
JB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D013739:Testosterone