Endogenous circulating testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels and measures of myocardial structure and function: the Framingham Heart

[madman]

Endogenous circulating testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels and measures of myocardial structure and function: the Framingham Heart Study

K. M. Pencina , T. G. Travison, S. Bhasin, Z. Li, N. Nigam, W. J. Manning, R. S. Vasan, U. Hoffmann, C. J. O’Donnell and S. Basaria








ABSTRACT
Background: The relation between endogenous testosterone concentrations and myocardial mass and function remains incompletely understood.

Objectives: To determine the cross-sectional association between endogenous hormone levels with cardiac magnetic resonance measures of myocardial mass, structure, and function in community-dwelling men across a wide age range. Methods: A total of 720 men from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort (age range 37–82, mean = 59.6 years) who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and had hormone levels measured. Total testosterone (measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry), sex hormone-binding globulin (measured using an immunofluorometric assay), and calculated free testosterone levels were assessed in male participants of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort at examination 7. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed between examinations 7 and 8 (2002–2006).

Results: Age-adjusted linear regression models showed statistically significant association between total testosterone levels and left ventricular mass (p = 0.009), left ventricular mass index (p = 0.006), cardiac output (p = 0.001), and main pulmonary artery diameter (p = 0.008); the association between total testosterone and these cardiac magnetic resonance measures was weak and was not significant after adjustment for established risk factors—age, body mass index, diabetes, and hypertension. Furthermore, calculated free testosterone level was not significantly associated with any measure of myocardial mass or function. Sex hormone-binding globulin level was significantly associated with left ventricular mass (p = 0.002), left ventricular mass index (p = 0.004), cardiac output (p = 0.003), left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.039), and main pulmonary artery diameter (p = 0.042) in age-adjusted models; these associations were also rendered non-significant after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors.

Conclusions: Neither testosterone nor sex hormone-binding globulin levels in men are associated significantly with myocardial mass and function independent of established cardiovascular risk factors.








CONCLUSION
In summary, our analyses do not reveal a significant and clinically meaningful association of testosterone levels with measures of myocardial mass or function. Further prospective studies are needed to elucidate the role of androgen in the regulation of myocardial mass and function in men, if any. However, the results of our analyses do not support an important role for circulating testosterone levels in regulation of myocardial mass and function in adult men.

 

[Mountain Man]

Great post MM. There may be a confound in this study. I was born and raised in Framingham for the first 62 years of my life and the majority of the participants were of the generation that came of age in WWII. My father passed on the opportunity to be a part of it, but my uncle was in the study and died a few years ago at age 96. My dad died 2017 in his 94th year. Looking at pictures of my dad and uncle when they were younger, especially those taken of them in Europe during the war, you see a lean, hard look in face and muscle that doesn’t exist today. They ate clean, because that was the way everybody ate then, walked everywhere, did bodyweight exercise regularly and were innately tougher mentally and physically than people today. My dad was a combat veteran at age 22 and my uncle landed second day of the Normandy invasion. There were no endocrine disrupters, no excuses, no safe places to hide if your feelings were hurt. I have to think that I, and others raised by guys like these inherited a bit of their grit and determination. The offspring of these guys are my age now. I’m 65.

Do you think this could be a confounding factor in the results? I think that action creates good hormones and that action, especially in men, keeps testosterone levels high and healthy hearts.

As an aside, being a child and nephew of guys like these was one of the greatest happenstances of my life. I think of my dad and his 3 brothers every day when I need motivation to work, provide, and problem solve. Thanks for finding this.

 

[madman]

Great post MM. There may be a confound in this study. I was born and raised in Framingham for the first 62 years of my life and the majority of the participants were of the generation that came of age in WWII. My father passed on the opportunity to be a part of it, but my uncle was in the study and died a few years ago at age 96. My dad died 2017 in his 94th year. Looking at pictures of my dad and uncle when they were younger, especially those taken of them in Europe during the war, you see a lean, hard look in face and muscle that doesn’t exist today. They ate clean, because that was the way everybody ate then, walked everywhere, did bodyweight exercise regularly and were innately tougher mentally and physically than people today. My dad was a combat veteran at age 22 and my uncle landed second day of the Normandy invasion. There were no endocrine disrupters, no excuses, no safe places to hide if your feelings were hurt. I have to think that I, and others raised by guys like these inherited a bit of their grit and determination. The offspring of these guys are my age now. I’m 65.

Do you think this could be a confounding factor in the results? I think that action creates good hormones and that action, especially in men, keeps testosterone levels high and healthy hearts.

As an aside, being a child and nephew of guys like these was one of the greatest happenstances of my life.i think of my dad and his 3 brothers every day when I need motivation to work, provide, and problem solve. Thanks for finding this.

Genetics, lifestyle- mental/physical health, body composition, diet, activity levels, environmental factors all have an impact on our overall health.

As we know low T has many negative effects on a males overall health/wellbeing and although healthy testosterone levels contribute to heart health it is only part of the overall picture as heart disease is multifactorial.

 

[CoastWatcher]

Great post MM. There may be a confound in this study. I was born and raised in Framingham for the first 62 years of my life and the majority of the participants were of the generation that came of age in WWII. My father passed on the opportunity to be a part of it, but my uncle was in the study and died a few years ago at age 96. My dad died 2017 in his 94th year. Looking at pictures of my dad and uncle when they were younger, especially those taken of them in Europe during the war, you see a lean, hard look in face and muscle that doesn’t exist today. They ate clean, because that was the way everybody ate then, walked everywhere, did bodyweight exercise regularly and were innately tougher mentally and physically than people today. My dad was a combat veteran at age 22 and my uncle landed second day of the Normandy invasion. There were no endocrine disrupters, no excuses, no safe places to hide if your feelings were hurt. I have to think that I, and others raised by guys like these inherited a bit of their grit and determination. The offspring of these guys are my age now. I’m 65.

Do you think this could be a confounding factor in the results? I think that action creates good hormones and that action, especially in men, keeps testosterone levels high and healthy hearts.

As an aside, being a child and nephew of guys like these was one of the greatest happenstances of my life. I think of my dad and his 3 brothers every day when I need motivation to work, provide, and problem solve. Thanks for finding this.

Interesting observations. My father, a WWII vet who would be 98 if alive today, was as @Mountain Man described his father and uncle...until he was diagnosed with hypogonadism in his early 60s (decades ago). An absurd protocol never brought him symptomatic relief and I saw him age dramatically before my eyes.

All so interwoven.