title: Impaired aortic elastic properties in patients with adult-onset hypogonadism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have shown a strong relationship between testosterone levels and vasomotor actions. The aim of this study is to compare the elastic properties of the aorta in male patients with hypogonadism and eugonadal healthy control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 22 male with hypogonadism (mean age: 35.2 ± 9.5 years, mean disease duration: 5.3 ± 1.8 years) and 25 age-, sex- and weight-matched eugonadal healthy subjects (mean age: 34.5 ± 8.2 years) were enrolled in the study. Aortic stiffness (β) index, aortic strain (AoS) and aortic distensibility (AoD) were calculated from the aortic diameters measured by transthoracic echocardiography and blood pressure obtained by sphygmomanometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The routinely performed echocardiographic parameters were similar between patient and control groups. There were significant differences between the control and patient groups in β index (1.75 ± 0.44 vs 2.68 ± 1.72, p < 0.001), AoS (18.52 ± 6.44 vs 12.35 ± 3.88%, p < 0.001) and AoD (7.56 ± 2.86 vs 3.96 ± 1.24, 10(-6) cm(2)/dyn, p < 0.001). There were statistically significant positive correlations between the serum total testosterone level and AoD (r = 0.539, p < 0.001) and AoS (r = 0.372, p = 0.036); moreover, there was a negative correlation between the serum total testosterone level and β index (r = - 0.462, p = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, serum total testosterone level was significantly related with AoD, AoS and β index (respectively, RR = 2.88, p = 0.004; RR = 3.45, p = 0.001; RR = 2.64, p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study results showed that aortic elasticity was impaired in patients with hypogonadism. We also have demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between aortic elastic properties and the serum total testosterone level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. dru_canpolat@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Uğur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Canpolat
authors.forename: Lale
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tokgözoğlu
authors.forename: Kadriye
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Muhammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dural
authors.forename: Kadri Murat
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gürses
authors.forename: Hikmet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yorgun
authors.forename: Asena Gökçay
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Canpolat
authors.forename: Ergün Bariş
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Giray
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kabakçi
authors.forename: Aydan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Usman
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oto
authors.forename: Kudret
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aytemir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone