Journal
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
Volume 93, Issue 1, Pages 68-75Publisher
ENDOCRINE SOC
DOI: 10.1210/jc.2007-1792
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES [R01DK031801] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING [R37AG007181, R01AG007181] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- NIA NIH HHS [R37 AG007181-20, R37 AG007181, AG07181, R01 AG007181] Funding Source: Medline
- NIDDK NIH HHS [R01 DK031801, R01 DK031801-16] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Context: Declining testosterone levels in elderly men are thought to underlie many of the symptoms and diseases of aging; however, studies demonstrating associations of low testosterone with clinical outcomes are few. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the association of endogenous testosterone levels with mortality in older community-dwelling men. Design, Setting,and Participants: This was a prospective, population-based study of 794 men, aged 50-91 (median 73.6) yr who had serum testosterone measurements at baseline (1984-1987) and were followed for mortality through July 2004. Main Outcome Measure: All-cause mortality by serum testosterone level was measured. Results: During an average 11.8-yr follow-up, 538 deaths occurred. Men whose total testosterone levels were in the lowest quartile (<241 ng/dl) were 40% [hazards ratio (HR) 1.40; 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.14-1.71] more likely to die than those with higher levels, independent of age, adiposity, and lifestyle. Additional adjustment for health status markers, lipids, lipoproteins, blood pressure, glycemia, adipocytokines, and estradiol levels had minimal effect on results. The low testosterone-mortality association was also independent of the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and prevalent cardiovascular disease but was attenuated by adjustment for IL-6 and C-reactive protein. In cause-specific analyses, low testosterone predicted increased risk of cardiovascular (HIR 1.38; 95% Cl 1.02-1.85) and respiratory disease (HR2.29; 95% Cl 1.25-4.20) mortality but was not significantly related to cancer death (HR 1.34; 95% Cl 0.89-2.00). Results were similar for bioavailable testosterone. Conclusions: Testosterone insufficiency in older men is associated with increased risk of death over the following 20 yr, independent of multiple risk factors and several preexisting health conditions.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available