Low testosterone in men predicts impaired arterial elasticity and microvascular function.

Int J Cardiol

Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Atlanta, GA, USA; Emory-Georgia Tech Predictive Health Institute, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Published: September 2015

AI Article Synopsis

  • Low testosterone levels in men are linked to issues like increased fat, insulin resistance, and potential cardiovascular risks, particularly concerning microvascular function and arterial stiffness.
  • The study measured testosterone levels in 237 men aged 50, finding that 25% had low testosterone, which correlated with impaired microvascular function; specifically, a positive correlation with the reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and a negative correlation with the central augmentation index (AIX).
  • The research suggests that low testosterone could be a risk factor for cardiovascular problems due to its association with microvascular dysfunction, warranting further study on whether treating low testosterone can improve vascular health.

Article Abstract

Background: A low testosterone level in men is associated with increased adiposity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. Whether low testosterone level is associated with arterial stiffness and endothelial and microvascular dysfunction remains unknown and was investigated in this study.

Methods: Serum testosterone was measured in 237 healthy men aged 50 years (SD 12). Endothelial and microvascular function were assessed as brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and digital reactive hyperemia index (RHI), respectively. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by tonometry-derived pulse wave velocity (PWV) and central augmentation index (AIX).

Results: Mean total testosterone level was 16.3 nmol/L (SD 6.11) and 25% of subjects had low levels (<12.0 nmol/L). Testosterone level correlated positively with RHI (r=0.24, p<0.001) and inversely with AIX (r=-0.14, p=0.033) but not with FMD or PWV, indicating impaired microvascular hyperemia and arterial elasticity with lower testosterone levels. After multivariate adjustment for the Framingham Risk Score and weight, testosterone level remained an independent predictor of RHI and AIX (β=0.23, -0.13; p=0.001, 0.04, respectively).

Conclusion: In men with few co-morbidities, lower serum testosterone level is associated with microvascular dysfunction and increased pulse wave reflections, mechanisms by which lower testosterone levels may confer increased cardiovascular risk. Whether normalization of low testosterone level improves vascular function needs further investigation.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9135451PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.05.065DOI Listing

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