ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the sex hormone levels in elderly men with chronic heart failure and the relationship between sex hormone levels and heart function.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred male patients diagnosed chronic heart failure clinically aged from 60 to 87 were selected in this study. All patients' left ventricular ejection fraction were less than 0.45. Four hundred elderly healthy men were studied as control. Blood samples were collected in the morning and TT, FT, DHEAS, SHBG, E(2), LH, FSH were measured. The results were compared with the hormone levels of healthy men with the same mean age.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) In elderly men with chronic heart failure, the level of DHEAS was decreased with age (P < 0.05). However, the levels of SHBG, LH, FSH were increased with age (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (2) Compared with healthy men the levels of TT, FT, E(2) and DHEAS were decreased significantly (P < 0.01) and the level of SHBG was significantly increased (P < 0.01). (3) The level of FT was positively correlated with LVEF (r = 0.279, P = 0.034).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The androgen levels in elderly male patients with chronic heart failure were decreased significantly and the level of FT was negatively correlated with degree of heart failure.</p>