Inverse associations between androgens and renal function: the Young Men Cardiovascular Association (YMCA) study.
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.
Tomaszewski
Maciej
M
Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK. mt142@le.ac.uk
Charchar
Fadi J
FJ
Maric
Christine
C
Kuzniewicz
Roman
R
Gola
Mateusz
M
Grzeszczak
Wladyslaw
W
Samani
Nilesh J
NJ
Zukowska-Szczechowska
Ewa
E
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
D000728:Androgens; D003404:Creatinine