title: Relationship between Serum Levels of Testosterone and the Severity of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between the levels of serum testosterone and the severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using GOLD criteria, 140 male patients with COPD were categorized into mild, moderate, severe and very severe COPD groups of 35 each. Then, serum levels of testosterone, prolactin and LH of patients were compared and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 18 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average age of patients was 67.4±10.1 years (range 41 to 90 years). The prevalence of the secondary hypogonadism was 58.6%. It was shown that the level of serum testosterone was directly correlated with the severity of COPD (P= 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that the prevalence of the secondary hypogonadism in COPD patients was high. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was correlated with the level of serum testosterone. Further investigations are required to better evaluate the pathology and treatment of secondary hypogonadism in COPD patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Obesity, Rasoule-Akram Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Ali-Javad
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Respiratory Diseases, Rasoule-Akram Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kouchari
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Hossein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Samdani-Fard
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra Nasihati
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Gilvaee
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran-Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arabi
keywords: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Serum level; Testosterone