Serum total and bioavailable testosterone levels, central obesity, and muscle strength changes with aging in healthy Chinese men.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of the changes in serum bioavailable and total testosterone (TT) levels with aging on visceral body fat distribution and muscle strength in Chinese men.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Ambulatory care.


METHODS
Four hundred seventy-five healthy ambulatory Chinese men (aged 18-89, body mass index (BMI) 16.4-40.0 kg/m(2)).


METHODS
Morning serum total and bioavailable testosterone levels, waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and right handgrip strength.


RESULTS
Mean serum TT levels fell mildly but significantly with aging (P=.02, linear trend; one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)), whereas mean serum bioavailable testosterone (BT) levels fell greatly with aging (P<.001, linear trend, one-way ANOVA). The rates of decline in serum TT and BT levels were 0.2% and 1.14% per year, respectively. [Correction added after online publication 14-May-2008: BT levels have been corrected from 1.44% to 1.14%.] After adjustment for adiposity according to BMI, multiple linear regression analyses showed that age remained significantly related to serum TT and BT levels. Handgrip strength decreased with age (correlation coefficient (r)=-0.394, P<.001) and was greater with higher serum BT levels (r=0.239, P<.001) but not with higher TT levels. WHR, before and after adjustment for BMI, was inversely related to serum TT (r=-0.34 and -0.197 respectively, P<.001) and BT levels (r=-0.104, P<.05 and -0.161, P<.001, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
In Chinese men, serum BT levels decreased with aging and may contribute to central obesity and poorer muscle strength in aging men.
Chu
Leung-Wing
LW
Division of Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Research Center of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR. lwchu@hkucc.hku.hk
Tam
Sidney
S
Kung
Annie W C
AW
Lo
Sue
S
Fan
Susan
S
Wong
Rachel L C
RL
Morley
John E
JE
Lam
Karen S L
KS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D001682:Biological Availability; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
D000728:Androgens; D013739:Testosterone