title: Sex hormones and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A 9-year follow up among elderly men in Finland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze whether sex hormone levels predict the incidence of type2 diabetes among elderly Finnish men.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective population-based study, with a 9-year follow up period. The study population in the municipality of Lieto, Finland, consisted of elderly (age ≥64 years) men free of type 2 diabetes at baseline in 1998-1999 (n = 430). Body mass index and cardiovascular disease-adjusted hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for type 2 diabetes predicted by testosterone, free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone/luteinizing hormone were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 30 new cases of type 2 diabetes developed during the follow-up period. After adjustment, only higher levels of testosterone (hazard ratio for one-unit increase 0.93, 95% confidence interval 0.87-0.99, P = 0.020) and free testosterone (hazard ratio for 10-unit increase 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.91-1.00, P = 0.044) were associated with a lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes during the follow up. These associations (0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.87-1.00, P = 0.050 and 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.90-1.00, P = 0.035, respectively) persisted even after additional adjustment of sex hormone-binding globulin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher levels of testosterone and free testosterone independently predicted a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in the elderly men.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Family Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Unit of Family Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Härkätie Health Center, Lieto, Finland.
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vahlberg
authors.forename: Ismo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Räihä
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Niskanen
authors.forename: Sirkka-Liisa
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kivelä
authors.forename: Kerttu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Irjala
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone
keywords: aged; diabetes mellitus; luteinizing hormone; sex hormone-binding globulin; testosterone; type 2