Vascular risk factors and their association to serum androgen levels in a population-based cohort of 75-year-old men over 5 years: results of the VITA study.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: In contrast to the high prevalence of late onset hypogonadism, little is known regarding correlates for low androgen levels in aging men. METHODS: We investigated participants of the Vienna Transdanube Aging study and assessed the relationship between vascular risk factors and hormonal status over 5 years. RESULTS: A total of 247 men with a mean age of 75.8 years were analyzed. Despite a tendency for lower testosterone levels in men with vascular risk factors and vascular diseases, none of these associations reached statistical significance. Men with low DHEA-S levels had a lower risk of hypercholesterinemia (-55.2%; P = 0.01) yet an increased prevalence of diabetes (+95.7%; P = 0.02) and coronary heart disease (+47.6%; P = 0.05). Testosterone and DHEA-S remained stable over 5 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: While reduced levels of total testosterone did not show an association to vascular disease, low DHEA-S was linked to hypercholesterinemia, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.