Vascular risk factors and their association to serum androgen levels in a population-based cohort of 75-year-old men over 5 years: results of the VITA study.
OBJECTIVE
In contrast to the high prevalence of late onset hypogonadism, little is known regarding correlates for low androgen levels in aging men.


METHODS
We investigated participants of the Vienna Transdanube Aging study and assessed the relationship between vascular risk factors and hormonal status over 5 years.


RESULTS
A total of 247 men with a mean age of 75.8 years were analyzed. Despite a tendency for lower testosterone levels in men with vascular risk factors and vascular diseases, none of these associations reached statistical significance. Men with low DHEA-S levels had a lower risk of hypercholesterinemia (-55.2%; P = 0.01) yet an increased prevalence of diabetes (+95.7%; P = 0.02) and coronary heart disease (+47.6%; P = 0.05). Testosterone and DHEA-S remained stable over 5 years of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
While reduced levels of total testosterone did not show an association to vascular disease, low DHEA-S was linked to hypercholesterinemia, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.
Ponholzer
Anton
A
Department of Urology and Andrology, Danube Hospital, SMZ-Ost, Langobardenstrasse 122, 1220 Vienna, Austria. anton.ponholzer@wienkav.at
Madersbacher
Stephan
S
Rauchenwald
Michael
M
Jungwirth
Susanne
S
Fischer
Peter
P
Tragl
Karl-Heinz
KH
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency
D013739:Testosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone