Ethnic differences in serum testosterone concentration among Malay, Chinese and Indian men: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate non-urological patients with multiple comorbidities for factors contributing towards differences in testosterone concentration in multiethnic Malaysian men. DESIGN: An observational study. PATIENTS: Sexually active men, ≥40 years, with no known urological problems, were recruited at the phlebotomy clinic at our centre. MEASUREMENTS: A brief history along with latest fasting lipid profile and plasma glucose levels were obtained. An Aging Male Symptoms questionnaire was administered; waist circumference (WC) and serum testosterone concentration were measured. STATSTICAL ANALYSIS: Analysis of testosterone concentration between Malay, Indian and Chinese men was performed. Statistical tests such as analysis of variance, χ2 test, univariate and multivariable regression were performed. Any p < .05 was noted as statistically significant. RESULTS: Among the 604 participants analysed, mean testosterone concentration was significantly lower in Malays (15.1 ± 5.9 nmol/L) compared to the Chinese (17.0 ± 5.9 nmol/L) and Indian (16.1 ± 6.5 nmol/L) participants. The mean WC was also found to be higher among the Malays (96.1 ± 10.9 cm) compared to Chinese (92.6 ± 9.6 cm) and Indians (95.6 ± 9.9 cm). Testosterone concentration tended to be lower with higher age, but this was not statistically significant (p > .05). In the multivariable analysis only Malay ethnicity, WC ≥ 90 cm and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were associated with lower testosterone concentration. CONCLUSION: In this study, Malaysian men of Malay origin had lower testosterone concentration compared with Indian and Chinese men. WC and low HDL were also associated with lower testosterone concentrations.

Pregnancy outcome in hyperemesis gravidarum and the effect of laboratory clinical indicators of hyperemesis severity.

OBJECTIVE: To determine pregnancy outcome in hyperemesis gravidarum and the effect of metabolic, biochemical, hematological and clinical indicators of disease severity on outcome. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study based on 166 women hospitalized for confirmed hyperemesis gravidarum from January 2004 to January 2005. For each woman, three controls matched for age, parity and ethnicity were obtained from our 2004 birth register. The effects of laboratory indicators of hyperemesis severity were separately analyzed within the hyperemesis gravidarum study group. Outcome measures include stillbirths, Apgar score, mode of delivery, low birthweight, preterm delivery, labor induction, pregnancy induced hypertension and gestational diabetes. Analysis was by t-test, Fisher's exact test and multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Women with hyperemesis had similar pregnancy outcome compared to controls. In the analysis of laboratory indicators of hyperemesis severity and pregnancy outcomes, hypokalemia (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.7: 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0-6.8) was associated with emergency operative delivery, high creatinine (odds ratio 4.4: 95% CI 1.3-15) with labor induction and raised gamma glutamyltransferase (AOR 7.5: 95% CI 1.2-46) with the development of gestational diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperemesis gravidarum per se was not associated adverse pregnancy outcome. Hypokalemia, high creatinine and raised gamma glutamyltransferase in women with hyperemesis gravidarum were associated with adverse pregnancy outcome.