Sex Hormones and the Left-Ventricle: An Association

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It is thought that sex hormone (SH) levels may contribute to sex differences in the risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Researchers examined the associations of SH levels with left ventricular mass (LVM) and mass (M):volume (V) ratio, which are risk markers for preserved ejection fraction.

• 1941 post-menopausal women and 2221 men, aged 45-84 years, participating in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) were studied.
• Serum SH levels, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ejection fraction (EF) ≥50% had been recorded at baseline (2000-2002). Of these participants, 2810 underwent repeat MRI at Exam 5 (2010-2012).
• Stratified by sex, linear mixed-effect models were used to test associations between SH and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) level [per 1 SD greater log-transformed (SH)] with baseline and change in LV structure.

[h=4]RESULTS:[/b]

• After a median of 9.1 years, higher free testosterone levels were independently associated with a modest increase in ventricular mass VM (g/yr) in women [0.05 (95% CI 0.01, 0.10)] and men [0.16 (0.03, 0.28)], while higher SHBG levels were associated with less LVM change (g/yr) in women [-0.07 (-0.13, -0.01)] and men [-0.15 (-0.27, -0.02)].
• In men, higher dehydroepiandrosterone and estradiol levels were associated with increased LVM. Among women, free testosterone levels were positively and SHBG levels inversely associated with change in M:V ratio.

[h=4]CONCLUSION:[/b]

• A more androgenic profile (higher free testosterone and lower SHBG levels) is associated with a greater increase in LVM in men and women and greater increase in M:V ratio in women over the course of 9 years.

"Sex hormone levels and change in left ventricular structure among men and post-menopausal women: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)," Maturitas, 2018 February, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29290213/