The decline of serum testosterone levels in community-dwelling men over 70 years of age: Descriptive data and predictors of longitudinal changes

72Citations
Citations of this article
39Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Objective: This study was designed to assess longitudinal changes in serum testosterone levels, explore relationships with aging, genetic-, health-, and lifestyle-related factors, and investigate predictors of changes in healthy elderly men. Design: Population-based, longitudinal, 4-year observational study in 221 community-dwelling men aged 71-86 years at baseline. Methods: Hormone levels assessed by immunoassay, anthropometry, questionnaires on general health, and genetic polymorphisms. Predictors of changes in testosterone levels explored using linear mixedeffects modeling for longitudinal analyses. Results: Total testosterone (TT), free testosterone, and bioavailable testosterone (BioT) levels decreased with aging, decreases in BioT being most marked. No changes in sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) or estradiol (E2 while LH and FSH levels increased during follow-up. Subjects who gained weight displayed a greater decline in TT levels, mainly due to decreasing SUBG levels. However, baseline body composition was not predictive of subsequent changes in testosterone levels. Baseline E2 (P=0.023 to 0.004), LH (P=0.046 to 0.005), and FSH (P<0.002) levels were independently positively associated with a faster decline in testosterone fractions, although only FSH remained significant when adjusting for baseline testosterone (P=0.041-0.035). Carriers of a 'TA' haplotype of the estrogen receptor a gene (ERα) PvuII and Xbal polymorphisms displayed a slower decline of TT and BioT (P=0.041-0.007). Conclusions: In elderly men with already low serum testosterone levels, a further decline was observed, independent of baseline age. The identification of FSH levels as a predictor of this decline appears to reflect the testicular mechanisms of aging-related changes in testosterone production, whereas associations with E2 and ERα polymorphisms are suggestive of estrogen-related processes, possibly related to changes in the neuroendocrine regulation of testosterone production. © 2008 European Society of Endocrinology.

References Powered by Scopus

A new statistical method for haplotype reconstruction from population data

6672Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

A critical evaluation of simple methods for the estimation of free testosterone in serum

3339Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Longitudinal effects of aging on serum total and free testosterone levels in healthy men

2301Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Skeletal muscle performance and ageing

564Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Lower serum testosterone is independently associated with insulin resistance in non-diabetic older men: The health in men study

113Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Aging and sex hormones in males

99Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Lapauw, B., Goemaere, S., Zmierczak, H., Pottelbergh, I. V., Mahmoud, A., Taes, Y., … Kaufman, J. M. (2008). The decline of serum testosterone levels in community-dwelling men over 70 years of age: Descriptive data and predictors of longitudinal changes. European Journal of Endocrinology, 159(4), 459–468. https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-07-0873

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 11

58%

Researcher 4

21%

Lecturer / Post doc 3

16%

Professor / Associate Prof. 1

5%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Medicine and Dentistry 13

52%

Agricultural and Biological Sciences 7

28%

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Bi... 4

16%

Social Sciences 1

4%

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free