Relationship between total testosterone and serum lipid in middle aged men

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The prevalance of coronary heart disease is significantly higher in men than in premenopausal women of the same age. Impact that endogenous androgens have on serum lipid has many arguments and few researches were made in Korea. So this study was made to investigate correlation between total testosterone and serum lipid known as effect on cardiovascular disease. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study on 560 middle aged men undertaken health screening program in Pundang General Hospital, Korea from June 1999 to June 2000. We surveyed informations concerning exercise, consumption of alcohol and smoking by means of self questionnaire records and total testosterone and serum lipid were measured at fasting state. RESULTS: Body mass index was positively correlated with total cholesterol and triglycerides(r=2.023;P<0.01, r=0.229;P<0.01) but negatively correlated with HDL cholesterol(r= 0.284;P<0.001). Total testosterone concentrations were negatively correlated with total cholesterol and triglyceride(r= 0.096; P<0.05, r= 0.145; P<0.01) but positively correlated with HDL cholesterol(r=0.155; P<0.001). Total testosterone concentrations were independently correlated with HDL cholesterol after age and body mass index were adjusted(beta=0.734; P<0.05). And after statistical adjustment for age, body mass index, exercise, smoking and alcohol, total testosterone concentrations were significantly correlated with triglyceride(beta= 10.467; P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The result indicate that total testosterone can be a independent determinant of HDL cholesterol and we expect that appropriate maintenance of total tetosterone concentrations will have a protective effect for cardiovascular disease.