title: Association of sex hormones with sexual function, vitality, and physical function of symptomatic older men with low testosterone levels at baseline in the testosterone trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of sexual dysfunction, low vitality, and poor physical function increases with aging, as does the prevalence of low total and free testosterone (TT and FT) levels. However, the relationship between sex hormones and age-related alterations in older men is not clear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypotheses that baseline serum TT, FT, estradiol (E2), and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels are independently associated with sexual function, vitality, and physical function in older symptomatic men with low testosterone levels participating in the Testosterone Trials (TTrials).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of baseline measures in the TTrials.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at 12 sites in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 788 TTrials participants were ≥ 65 years and had evidence of sexual dysfunction, diminished vitality, and/or mobility disability, and an average of two TT < 275 ng/dL.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Question 4 of Psychosocial Daily Questionnaire (PDQ-Q4), the FACIT-Fatigue Scale, and the 6-minute walk test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline serum TT and FT, but not E2 or SHBG levels had small, but statistically significant associations with validated measures of sexual desire, erectile function, and sexual activity. None of these hormones was significantly associated within or across trials with FACIT-Fatigue, PHQ-9 Depression or Physical Function-10 scores, or gait speed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FT and TT levels were consistently, independently, and positively associated, albeit to a small degree, with measures of sexual desire, erectile function, and sexual activity, but not with measures of vitality or physical function in symptomatic older men with low T who qualified for the TTrials.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (G.R.C.), Baylor College of Medicine and Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Houston, Texas 77030; Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics (A.J.S., J.T.F., D.C., L.F.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; New England Research Institutes, Inc. (R.C.R.), Watertown, Massachusetts 02472; Division of Endocrinology (C.W., R.S.S.), Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center and Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Torrance, California 90502; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (S.S.E., X.H.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System (A.M.M.), and Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98108; Research Program in Men's Health, Aging and Metabolism (S.B., S.B.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine (M.E.M.), Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611; Department of Medical Social Sciences (D.C.), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611; Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family and Preventative Medicine (E.B.), University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093; Department of Epidemiology (J.A.C.), University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261; Divisions of Endocrinology and Geriatrics (J.P.C., V.T.), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461; Department of Medicine (K.E.E., S.D.), Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415; Minneapolis 
authors.forename: Glenn R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Alisa J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stephens-Shields
authors.forename: Raymond C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Susan S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ellenberg
authors.forename: Alvin M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Shalender
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhasin
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Molitch
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Farrar
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cella
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barrett-Connor
authors.forename: Jane A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cauley
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cifelli
authors.forename: Jill P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Crandall
authors.forename: Kristine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Ensrud
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fluharty
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Cora E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pahor
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Storer
authors.forename: Ronald S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Swerdloff
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anton
authors.forename: Shehzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basaria
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diem
authors.forename: Vafa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tabatabaie
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Snyder
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D007989:Libido / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013739:Testosterone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D013739:Testosterone