Factors Associated With Circulating Sex Hormones in Men : Individual Participant Data Meta-analyses
Authors' conclusion
Multiple factors are associated with variation in male testosterone, SHBG, and LH concentrations. Reduced testosterone and increased LH concentrations may indicate impaired testicular function after age 70 years. Interpretation of individual testosterone measurements should account particularly for age older than 70 years, obesity, diabetes, and cancer.
Study context
- Population
- Community-dwelling men in prospective cohort studies with total testosterone measured by mass spectrometry9 studies individual participant data (IPD)
- Participants
- 21,074 men
- Outcome
- Factors associated with total testosterone
Methodological detailstwo-stage random-effects IPD meta-analysis, mass spectrometry testosterone measurement, Aggregate data from 2 studies (n = 4075) also extracted, Limitations: cross-sectional analysis, heterogeneity between studies and in timing of blood sampling, imputation for missing data
- Two-stage random-effects IPD meta-analysis
- Mass spectrometry testosterone measurement
- Aggregate data from 2 studies (n = 4075) also extracted
- Limitations: cross-sectional analysis, heterogeneity between studies and in timing of blood sampling, imputation for missing data
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
- Age 17–70 y: change per SD increase about midpoint (negligible), CI −0.71 to 0.18 nmol/L
- −0.27 nmol/L
- Age >70 y: change per SD increase, CI −2.05 to −1.06 nmol/L
- −1.55 nmol/L
- Body mass index (BMI): change per SD increase, CI −2.70 to −2.13 nmol/L
- −2.42 nmol/L
- Married: MD, CI −0.89 to −0.26 nmol/L
- −0.57 nmol/L
- ≤75 min vigorous physical activity/week: MD, CI −0.90 to −0.13 nmol/L
- −0.51 nmol/L
- Former smokers: MD, CI −0.55 to −0.12 nmol/L
- −0.34 nmol/L
- Hypertension: MD, CI −0.82 to −0.24 nmol/L
- −0.53 nmol/L
- CVD: MD, CI −0.55 to −0.15 nmol/L
- −0.35 nmol/L
- Cancer: MD, CI −1.79 to −0.99 nmol/L
- −1.39 nmol/L
- Diabetes: MD, CI −1.65 to −1.22 nmol/L
- −1.43 nmol/L
Further pooled results
Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)
- SHBG directly associated with age and inversely associated with BMI
Luteinizing hormone (LH)
- LH directly associated with age in men >70 years
Original publication
Factors Associated With Circulating Sex Hormones in Men : Individual Participant Data Meta-analyses. Ann Intern Med. Published 29 August 2023. doi:10.
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