The decline of serum testosterone levels in community-dwelling men over 70 years of age: descriptive data and predictors of longitudinal changes - PubMed (original) (raw)
. 2008 Oct;159(4):459-68.
doi: 10.1530/EJE-07-0873. Epub 2008 Jul 1.
Affiliations
- PMID: 18593825
- DOI: 10.1530/EJE-07-0873
The decline of serum testosterone levels in community-dwelling men over 70 years of age: descriptive data and predictors of longitudinal changes
B Lapauw et al. Eur J Endocrinol. 2008 Oct.
Abstract
Objective: This study was designed to assess longitudinal changes in serum testosterone levels, explore relationships with aging, genetic-, health-, and lifestyle-related factors, and investigate predictors of changes in healthy elderly men.
Design: Population-based, longitudinal, 4-year observational study in 221 community-dwelling men aged 71-86 years at baseline.
Methods: Hormone levels assessed by immunoassay, anthropometry, questionnaires on general health, and genetic polymorphisms. Predictors of changes in testosterone levels explored using linear mixed-effects modeling for longitudinal analyses.
Results: Total testosterone (TT), free testosterone, and bioavailable testosterone (BioT) levels decreased with aging, decreases in BioT being most marked. No changes in sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) or estradiol (E(2)), while LH and FSH levels increased during follow-up. Subjects who gained weight displayed a greater decline in TT levels, mainly due to decreasing SHBG levels. However, baseline body composition was not predictive of subsequent changes in testosterone levels. Baseline E(2) (P=0.023 to 0.004), LH (P=0.046 to 0.005), and FSH (P<0.002) levels were independently positively associated with a faster decline in testosterone fractions, although only FSH remained significant when adjusting for baseline testosterone (P=0.041-0.035). Carriers of a 'TA' haplotype of the estrogen receptor alpha gene (ER alpha) PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms displayed a slower decline of TT and BioT (P=0.041-0.007).
Conclusions: In elderly men with already low serum testosterone levels, a further decline was observed, independent of baseline age. The identification of FSH levels as a predictor of this decline appears to reflect the testicular mechanisms of aging-related changes in testosterone production, whereas associations with E(2) and ER alpha polymorphisms are suggestive of estrogen-related processes, possibly related to changes in the neuroendocrine regulation of testosterone production.
Similar articles
- The effects of aging in normal men on bioavailable testosterone and luteinizing hormone secretion: response to clomiphene citrate.
Tenover JS, Matsumoto AM, Plymate SR, Bremner WJ. Tenover JS, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1987 Dec;65(6):1118-26. doi: 10.1210/jcem-65-6-1118. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1987. PMID: 3119649 - Longitudinal and cross-sectional relationships of circulating reproductive hormone levels to self-rated health and health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older men.
Hsu B, Cumming RG, Blyth FM, Naganathan V, Le Couteur DG, Seibel MJ, Waite LM, Handelsman DJ. Hsu B, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 May;99(5):1638-47. doi: 10.1210/jc.2013-3984. Epub 2014 Feb 19. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014. PMID: 24552220 - Measures of bioavailable serum testosterone and estradiol and their relationships with muscle strength, bone density, and body composition in elderly men.
van den Beld AW, de Jong FH, Grobbee DE, Pols HA, Lamberts SW. van den Beld AW, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000 Sep;85(9):3276-82. doi: 10.1210/jcem.85.9.6825. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000. PMID: 10999822 Clinical Trial. - [Contribution of bioavailable testosterone assay for the diagnosis of androgen deficiency in elderly men].
Lejeune H, Déchaud H, Pugeat M. Lejeune H, et al. Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2003 Apr;64(2):117-25. Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2003. PMID: 12773947 Review. French. - Testosterone and ill-health in aging men.
Yeap BB. Yeap BB. Nat Clin Pract Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Feb;5(2):113-21. doi: 10.1038/ncpendmet1050. Nat Clin Pract Endocrinol Metab. 2009. PMID: 19165223 Review.
Cited by
- Off-label use of hormones as an antiaging strategy: a review.
Samaras N, Papadopoulou MA, Samaras D, Ongaro F. Samaras N, et al. Clin Interv Aging. 2014 Jul 23;9:1175-86. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S48918. eCollection 2014. Clin Interv Aging. 2014. PMID: 25092967 Free PMC article. Review. - Genetic effects on serum testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin in men: a Korean twin and family study.
Sung J, Song YM. Sung J, et al. Asian J Androl. 2016 Sep-Oct;18(5):786-90. doi: 10.4103/1008-682X.164923. Asian J Androl. 2016. PMID: 26486061 Free PMC article. - Incontinence in the elderly, 'normal' ageing, or unaddressed pathology?
Gibson W, Wagg A. Gibson W, et al. Nat Rev Urol. 2017 Jul;14(7):440-448. doi: 10.1038/nrurol.2017.53. Epub 2017 Apr 11. Nat Rev Urol. 2017. PMID: 28401955 Review. - Examining the Effects of Herbs on Testosterone Concentrations in Men: A Systematic Review.
Smith SJ, Lopresti AL, Teo SYM, Fairchild TJ. Smith SJ, et al. Adv Nutr. 2021 Jun 1;12(3):744-765. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmaa134. Adv Nutr. 2021. PMID: 33150931 Free PMC article. - Late-Onset Hypogonadism as Primary Testicular Failure.
Swee DS, Gan EH. Swee DS, et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019 Jun 12;10:372. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00372. eCollection 2019. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019. PMID: 31244778 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous