title: The reference values of sex hormones and SHBG serum levels in subjects over 65 years old - The PolSenior Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last decade, average life expectancy has continuously increased. There has been no data on normal sex hormone (SH) levels in a Polish elderly population. In this study, we assessed SH in the PolSenior cohort to determine normal reference ranges in relation to gender, age, and cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed with 4,352 participants (2,168 men and 2,088 women), aged from 55 to over 90 years, stratified in five-year age groups. Pre-elderly subjects (55-59 years of age) served as the reference group. We assessed total testosterone (TT), estradiol (TE2) and DHEA-S (by RIA) SHBG and FSH (by IRMA) and calculated free androgen and free estrogen indices (FAI and FEI). Percentage body fat (%BF) was measured by bioelectric impedance analysis. The CVDRFs assessment included blood pressure and biochemical (blood glucose, high-density lipoproteins, triglycerides) and anthropometric (waist circumference) components of the metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TT was low in 19.9%, normal in 78.2%, and high in 1.8% of men. TE2 was low in 94.6% of women. Age and CVDRFs significantly influenced values of SHBG, FSH, TT, FAI, FEI, and DHEA-S in men, while in women values of FSH, TT and TE2 did not change. BMI and %BF affected SH regardless of the age groups and CVDRFs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the reference ranges stratified by the five-year age bands seem more accurate than those given for the overall population over 60 years of age. The clinical relevance of these reference ranges increases when they are considered in relation to CVDRFs, BMI and %BF.
authors: Medical University, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Isotope Therapy, Wrocław, Poland.
authors: Andrzej
authors: A
authors: Milewicz
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Krzyżanowska-Świniarska
authors: Tomasz
authors: T
authors: Miazgowski
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Jędrzejuk
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Arkowska
authors: Urszula
authors: U
authors: Mieszczanowicz
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Bar-Andziak
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate