title: Serum vitamin D and sex hormones levels in men and women: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency has been associated with low testosterone levels in men, but there are conflicting reports of its associations with sex hormones in women. Less is known about whether these associations are independent of adiposity and lifestyle factors, and whether they differ by race/ethnicity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine associations of 25(OH)D concentrations with sex hormone levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analysis of 3017 men and 2929 women in a multi-ethnic cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Testosterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and free testosterone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (SD) levels of 25(OH)D in men and women were 25.7(10.4) and 26.1(12.0)ng/ml, respectively. In men, after adjusting for demographic and lifestyle variables, a 10ng/ml [25nmol/L] decrease in 25(OH)D was associated with an average difference of -0.70nmol/L (95%CI -1.36, -0.05) in SHBG and 0.02 percent (0.01, 0.04) in free testosterone, but was not associated with low total testosterone level (<10.41nmol/L). In women, a 10ng/ml decrease in 25(OH)D levels was associated with an average difference of -0.01nmol/L (-0.01, -0.00) for estradiol, -8.29nmol/L (-10.13, -6.45) for SHBG, 0.06 percent (0.04, 0.07) for free testosterone, and 0.40nmol/L (0.19, 0.62) for DHEA. There was no significant interaction by race/ethnicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with lower SHBG levels and higher free testosterone levels in both men and women, and lower estradiol and higher DHEA levels in women, independent of adiposity and lifestyle. We observed no significant association of 25(OH)D with total testosterone in men. Future studies are needed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation influences sex hormone levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
authors.forename: Ian H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
authors.forename: Pamela L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lutsey
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Youssef M K
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Farag
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Eliseo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guallar
authors.affiliation: New York Academy of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Siscovick
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States; Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Wendy S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Post
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
authors.forename: Rita R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Kalyani
authors.affiliation: Departments of Surgery/Urology and Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, United States.
authors.forename: Kevin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Billups
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States; Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States. Electronic address: edonnell@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Erin D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Michos
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D014807:Vitamin D; D013739:Testosterone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: Dehydroepiandrosterone; Estradiol; Sex hormone binding globulin; Sex hormones; Testosterone; Vitamin D