Serum testosterone levels may influence body composition and cardiometabolic health in men with spinal cord injury

Abstract

Study design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: To establish the association between serum testosterone (T) levels, biomarkers of cardiometabolic health and regional body composition variables after spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: Medical research center. Methods: Metabolic and body composition measurements were collected from thirty-six men with chronic motor complete SCI. Serum T, carbohydrate, and lipid profiles were measured after an overnight fast. Body composition was measured using anthropometrics, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and magnetic resonance imaging. Participants were evenly classified into tertiles based on their serum T levels into low, mid–normal and normal ranges. Results: Low, mid–normal, and normal range serum T were 288.8 ± 84.9 ng/dL, 461.0 ± 52.5 ng/dL and 648.0 ± 53.5 ng/dL, respectively. Low range serum T group had greater total (9.6%, P = 0.04) percentage fat mass and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area (72%, P = 0.01) compared to normal range serum T group. Serum T was related to the absolute whole thigh muscle area (r = 0.40, P < 0.05) after controlling for body mass index. Serum T was negatively related to fasting plasma glucose (r = −0.46, P = 0.006) and insulin (r = −0.42, P = 0.01), HbA1c (r = −0.39, P = 0.02) and triglycerides (r = −0.36, P = 0.03). Conclusion: Men with low serum T have more unfavorable body composition and cardiometabolic health outcomes after SCI. Testosterone replacement therapy may serve as a potential strategy in preventing cardiometabolic disorders after SCI.