Andropause: Higher risk of carotid atherosclerosis

[New Petchburi Pete]

This article is a bit deep for most readers; but, since I've mentioned that andropause (reduced levels of testosterone in middle-aged men), is quite common, I thought I'd toss it out there.

 

If you feel that you are symptomatic (reduced sex drive, lethargic, lack of response to meds for ED without alcohol on board), perhaps due to low levels, discuss this with your primary care physician or a reputable endocrinologist. Keep in mind that testosterone replacement therapy is not without it's risks. It seems that testosterone has been a buzz word for quite some time; and, the medical community is paying more attention to it.

 

Increased Carotid Atherosclerosis in Andropaual Middle-Aged Men -

Received 26 August 2004; received in revised form 22 December 2004; accepted 11 January 2005

Objectives

This study examined the association between carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), serum sex hormone levels, and andropausal symptoms in middle-aged men.

Background

Male sex hormones may play a dual role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in men by carrying both proatherogenic and atheroprotective effects.

Methods

We studied 239 40- to 70-year-old men (mean ± SD: 57 ± 8 years) who participated in the Turku Aging Male Study and underwent serum lipid and sex hormone measurements. Ninety-nine men (age 58 ± 7 years) were considered andropausal (i.e., serum testosterone <9.8 nmol/l or luteinizing hormone [LH] >6.0 U/l and testosterone in the normal range), and in both situations, they had subjective symptoms of andropause (a high symptom score in questionnaire). Three were excluded because of diabetes. The rest of the men (age 57 ± 8 years) served as controls. Carotid IMT was determined using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound, and serum testosterone, estradiol (E2), LH, and sex hormone-binding globulin were measured using standard immunoassays.

Results

Andropausal men had a higher maximal IMT compared with controls in the common carotid (1.08 ± 0.34 vs. 1.00 ± 0.23, p < 0.05) and in the carotid bulb (1.44 ± 0.48 vs. 1.27 ± 0.35, p = 0.003). Common carotid IMT correlated inversely with serum testosterone (p = 0.003) and directly with LH (p = 0.006) in multivariate models adjusted for age, total cholesterol, body mass index, blood pressure, and smoking.

Conclusions

Middle-aged men with symptoms of andropause, together with absolute or compensated (as reflected by high normal to elevated LH) testosterone deficiency, show increased carotid IMT. These data suggest that normal testosterone levels may offer protection against the development of atherosclerosis in middle-aged men.

 

(copied from "Cardiosource" - online, featuring articles from the American College of Cardiology)