title: Inverse associations between androgens and renal function: the Young Men Cardiovascular Association (YMCA) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Men exhibit higher risk of nondiabetic renal diseases than women. This male susceptibility to renal disease may be mediated by gender-specific factors such as sex hormones.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have undertaken a cross-sectional examination of associations between renal function (creatinine clearance estimated based on Cockcroft-Gault equation) and circulating levels of sex steroids (total testosterone, total estradiol, estrone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and dihydrotestosterone) in 928 young (mean age: 18.5 +/- 1.2 years) men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both androstenedione and DHEA-S showed inverse linear associations with renal function in the crude analysis of lean men (those with body mass index (BMI) less than median). However, only DHEA-S retained its association with renal function in lean subjects after adjustment--assuming no changes in other independent variables 1 s.d. increase in DHEA-S was associated with 13%-s.d. decrease in creatinine clearance (P = 0.004). Testosterone decreased across tertiles of creatinine clearance only in the crude analysis of nonlean (BMI greater than median) subjects (P < 0.001). The adjusted regression analysis that assumed no changes in other independent variables showed that 1 s.d. increase in total testosterone was associated with 11%-s.d. decrease in creatinine clearance of nonlean men (P = 0.006). Factor analysis confirmed an inverse association of renal function with both sex steroids and a different pattern of their loadings on glomerular filtration-related factors in lean (DHEA-S) and nonlean (testosterone) subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data may suggest that androgens are inversely associated with estimated renal function in apparently healthy men without history of cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. mt142@le.ac.uk
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomaszewski
authors.forename: Fadi J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Charchar
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maric
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuzniewicz
authors.forename: Mateusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gola
authors.forename: Wladyslaw
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grzeszczak
authors.forename: Nilesh J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Samani
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zukowska-Szczechowska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012955:Societies, Medical
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D003404:Creatinine