title: Influence of marital status on testosterone levels-A ten year follow-up of 1113 men.
abstract: Based on a large population of 1113 men aged 30-60 at baseline (mean: 44.1 years, standard deviation: 10.5), we investigated whether intra-individual changes in testosterone (T) and related reproductive hormones during a ten year period were dependent of marital status at baseline and follow-up. The studied men were part of a health survey in Denmark, conducted between 1982 and 1984 with a follow-up examination approximately ten years later. Data on reproductive hormones, measured in serum, and lifestyle and marital status were obtained at both time points. As expected, an age-related decline in testosterone was observed. However, independent of age and lifestyle, we observed that men who went from unmarried to married (n=81) during the study period experienced an accelerated age-related decline in testosterone (-6.6nmol/L) whereas men who went from married to unmarried (n=67) experienced an attenuated age-related decline (-2.3nmol/L). Men who were either married or unmarried at both time points (n=167, n=798, respectively) had a testosterone decline in between (-3.7nmol/L and -4.6nmol/L, respectively). Changes in T/LH ratio did not differ according to marital status indicating that the lowered T level is not compensated by increasing LH levels. This could suggest a modification of the gonadostat due to an adaptation to changing life circumstances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: stine.agergaard.holmboe@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Stine A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Holmboe
authors.affiliation: Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lærke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Priskorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Niels E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Skakkebaek
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, Denmark; Department of Clinical Experimental Research, Rigshospitalet, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linneberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Juul
authors.affiliation: Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anna-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone
keywords: LH; Lifestyle; Longitudinal; Marital status; Men; Testosterone