Endogenous testosterone and brachial artery endothelial function in middle-aged men with symptoms of late-onset hypogonadism

Aging Male. 2011 Dec;14(4):237-42. doi: 10.3109/13685538.2011.593655. Epub 2011 Aug 11.

Abstract

In aging men, serum endogenous testosterone is inversely associated with common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and directly with beneficial plasma lipid levels; however, the relationship to endothelial function is poorly characterized. We examined the association between serum testosterone and endothelium-dependent brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in middle-aged to elderly men. A group of 83 men aged 40?69 years (mean 55.9 ± 7.5 [SD]) with andropausal symptoms were studied. We measured their serum lipids, testosterone, luteinizing hormone, mean carotid IMT and brachial artery FMD by high resolution B-mode ultrasound. Brachial FMD correlated inversely with vessel diameter (r = -0.38, p = 0.0004), alcohol consumption (r = -0.22, p = 0.047) and serum testosterone (r = -0.27, p = 0.01), but not with luteinizing hormone. In multivariate analysis, FMD was explained by testosterone (β = -0.17, p = 0.0226), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (β = 4.17, p = 0.0312) and vessel diameter (β = -4.37, p < 0.0001) when adjusted for age, body mass index, triglycerides, blood pressure, carotid IMT, smoking, alcohol consumption, cardiovascular diseases and use of lipid lowering medication (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors). In middle-aged to elderly men, there is an inverse correlation between serum testosterone and brachial FMD. These data suggest that testosterone may have an adverse effect on systemic endothelial function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Aged
  • Aging / blood
  • Aging / physiology
  • Alcohol Drinking / blood
  • Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology
  • Alcohol Drinking / physiopathology
  • Body Mass Index
  • Brachial Artery / diagnostic imaging
  • Brachial Artery / drug effects
  • Brachial Artery / physiology*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / epidemiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / physiopathology
  • Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
  • Cholesterol, HDL / blood
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Hypogonadism / blood*
  • Hypogonadism / diagnostic imaging
  • Hypogonadism / physiopathology*
  • Lipids / blood
  • Luteinizing Hormone / blood
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Regional Blood Flow / drug effects
  • Regional Blood Flow / physiology
  • Smoking / blood
  • Smoking / epidemiology
  • Smoking / physiopathology
  • Testosterone / blood*

Substances

  • Cholesterol, HDL
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Lipids
  • Testosterone
  • Luteinizing Hormone