| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Submitted on August 12, 2005
Accepted on December 13, 2005
Bone and Mineral Unit, Oregon Health & Science University, University of California, San Diego, University of Pittsburgh, Minneapolis VA and University of Minnesota, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: orwoll{at}ohsu.edu.
Context: Testosterone and estradiol levels decline with age in men. This change may affect multiple clinical outcomes, but there have been few reports of the distribution and correlates of testosterone and estradiol concentrations in elderly men.
Objective: The purpose of these studies was to assess sex steroid levels in a large cohort of older men.
Design: Cross sectional cohort evaluation
Setting: Community dwelling men were studied at six academic medical centers in the U.S.
Participants: The Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (MrOS) is a prospective cohort of men aged 
65 yr. In these studies, a randomly selected stratified sub-sample of 2,623 participants was analyzed.
Main outcome measures: Levels of total and free testosterone and estradiol, and SHBG
Results: Age was inversely associated with free testosterone and free estradiol levels (p for trend = 0.001 for both). Notably, at any age, there was substantial variation in levels of each hormone. Free testosterone levels were lower in men with greater BMI, lower SHBG poorer self-reported health status and in those of Asian race. Free estradiol concentrations were lower in men with lower BMI and higher SHBG levels. Free estradiol and free testosterone were modestly correlated (r= 0.20, p=<0.001), but at any level of free testosterone there was considerable variation in free estradiol levels.
Conclusions: This is the largest cohort of older men in which sex steroid levels are available, and it demonstrates that testosterone and estradiol, and their free fractions, tend to decline with age even among older men. However, substantial variation is also present. The relationships between sex steroid levels and their consequences in aging are likely to be complex.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  B Lapauw, S Goemaere, H Zmierczak, I Van Pottelbergh, A Mahmoud, Y Taes, D De Bacquer, S Vansteelandt, and J M Kaufman The decline of serum testosterone levels in community-dwelling men over 70 years of age: descriptive data and predictors of longitudinal changes Eur. J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2008; 159(4): 459 - 468. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. J. Snyder Decreasing Testosterone with Increasing Age: More Factors, More Questions J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., July 1, 2008; 93(7): 2477 - 2478. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S A Paul Chubb, Z. Hyde, O. P Almeida, L. Flicker, P. E Norman, K. Jamrozik, G. J Hankey, and B. B Yeap Lower sex hormone-binding globulin is more strongly associated with metabolic syndrome than lower total testosterone in older men: the Health in Men Study Eur. J. Endocrinol., June 1, 2008; 158(6): 785 - 792. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Khosla, S. Amin, and E. Orwoll Osteoporosis in Men Endocr. Rev., June 1, 2008; 29(4): 441 - 464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. B. Araujo, T. G. Travison, B. Z. Leder, and J. B. McKinlay Correlations between Serum Testosterone, Estradiol, and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin and Bone Mineral Density in a Diverse Sample of Men J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2008; 93(6): 2135 - 2141. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. A. Hall, A. B. Araujo, G. R. Esche, R. E. Williams, R. V. Clark, T. G. Travison, and J. B. McKinlay Treatment of Symptomatic Androgen Deficiency: Results From the Boston Area Community Health Survey Arch Intern Med, May 26, 2008; 168(10): 1070 - 1076. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 O. P. Almeida, B. B. Yeap, G. J. Hankey, K. Jamrozik, and L. Flicker Low Free Testosterone Concentration as a Potentially Treatable Cause of Depressive Symptoms in Older Men Arch Gen Psychiatry, March 1, 2008; 65(3): 283 - 289. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Meier, T. V. Nguyen, D. J. Handelsman, C. Schindler, M. M. Kushnir, A. L. Rockwood, A. W. Meikle, J. R. Center, J. A. Eisman, and M. J. Seibel Endogenous Sex Hormones and Incident Fracture Risk in Older Men: The Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study Arch Intern Med, January 14, 2008; 168(1): 47 - 54. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. A. Laughlin, E. Barrett-Connor, and J. Bergstrom Low Serum Testosterone and Mortality in Older Men J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2008; 93(1): 68 - 75. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. B. Araujo, G. R. Esche, V. Kupelian, A. B. O'Donnell, T. G. Travison, R. E. Williams, R. V. Clark, and J. B. McKinlay Prevalence of Symptomatic Androgen Deficiency in Men J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2007; 92(11): 4241 - 4247. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Wang, P. Christenson, and R. Swerdloff Clinical Relevance of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Sex Steroids J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., July 1, 2007; 92(7): 2433 - 2435. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Rohrmann, W. G. Nelson, N. Rifai, T. R. Brown, A. Dobs, N. Kanarek, J. D. Yager, and E. A. Platz Serum Estrogen, But Not Testosterone, Levels Differ between Black and White Men in a Nationally Representative Sample of Americans J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., July 1, 2007; 92(7): 2519 - 2525. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. B Yeap, O. P Almeida, Z. Hyde, P. E Norman, S A P. Chubb, K. Jamrozik, and L. Flicker In men older than 70 years, total testosterone remains stable while free testosterone declines with age. The Health in Men Study Eur. J. Endocrinol., May 1, 2007; 156(5): 585 - 594. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. G. Travison, A. B. Araujo, V. Kupelian, A. B. O'Donnell, and J. B. McKinlay The Relative Contributions of Aging, Health, and Lifestyle Factors to Serum Testosterone Decline in Men J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., February 1, 2007; 92(2): 549 - 555. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. G. Travison, A. B. Araujo, A. B. O'Donnell, V. Kupelian, and J. B. McKinlay A Population-Level Decline in Serum Testosterone Levels in American Men J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2007; 92(1): 196 - 202. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. R. Smith Obesity and Sex Steroids during Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist Treatment for Prostate Cancer Clin. Cancer Res., January 1, 2007; 13(1): 241 - 245. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Khosla Sex Hormone Binding Globulin: Inhibitor or Facilitator (or Both) of Sex Steroid Action? J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2006; 91(12): 4764 - 4766. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. J. Litman, S. Bhasin, C. L. Link, A. B. Araujo, J. B. McKinlay, and for the Boston Area Community Health Survey Invest Serum Androgen Levels in Black, Hispanic, and White Men J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2006; 91(11): 4326 - 4334. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Orwoll, L. C. Lambert, L. M. Marshall, J. Blank, E. Barrett-Connor, J. Cauley, K. Ensrud, S. R. Cummings, and for the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study Group Endogenous testosterone levels, physical performance, and fall risk in older men. Arch Intern Med, October 23, 2006; 166(19): 2124 - 2131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. P. Bilezikian What's Good for the Goose's Skeleton is Good for the Gander's Skeleton. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 2006; 91(4): 1223 - 1225. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
Read all eLetters
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH |
| Endocrinology | Endocrine Reviews | J. Clin. End. & Metab. |
| Molecular Endocrinology | Recent Prog. Horm. Res. | All Endocrine Journals |
