The Association of Free Testosterone Levels in Men and Lifestyle Factors and Chronic Disease Status: A North Texas Healthy Heart Study.
OBJECTIVE
Hypogonadism is highly prevalent in men older than 45 years and is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to determine whether lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, and exercise are associated with reduced testosterone levels.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, 147 men older than 44 years were recruited from a collaborative network of primary care clinics in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, metropolitan area. Free testosterone levels were measured in plasma samples via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based method, and analyzed by simple and multiple linear regression in relationship to age, race/ethnicity, smoking, diet, exercise, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.


RESULTS
The participants had a mean free testosterone level of 3.1 ng/mL (standard deviation [SD] = 1.5) and mean age of 56.8 years (SD = 7.9). In simple regression analysis, free testosterone levels were associated with increased age (β = -0.04; P = .02), diet (β = -0.49; P = .05), diabetes (β = -0.9; P = .003), and hypertension (β = -0.55; P = .03) but not with race/ethnicity, smoking, exercise, obesity, or dyslipidemia. In multiple regression analysis, free testosterone values were significantly associated only with age (β = -0.05; P = .01) and diet (β = -0.72; P = .01).


CONCLUSIONS
This study implicates diet, in addition to advanced age as a possible risk factor in the development of reduced testosterone levels.
University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA roberto.cardarelli@uky.com.
Roberto
R
Cardarelli
University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
Meharvan
M
Singh
University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.
Jason
J
Meyer
University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
Elizabeth
E
Balyakina
University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.
Oscar
O
Perez
University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.
Michael
M
King
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D013781:Texas
D013739:Testosterone
chronic disease; diet; hypogonadism; testosterone