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Determinants of serum total and free testosterone levels in women over the age of 65 years.
Tuesday,2012-11-06 12:08 America/Los_Angeles — eenright
| Title | Determinants of serum total and free testosterone levels in women over the age of 65 years. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2007 |
| Authors | Cappola, AR, Ratcliffe, SJ, Bhasin, S, Blackman, MR, Cauley, J, Robbins, J, Zmuda, JM, Harris, T, Fried, LP |
| Journal | J Clin Endocrinol Metab |
| Volume | 92 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pagination | 509-16 |
| Date Published | 2007 Feb |
| ISSN | 0021-972X |
| Keywords | Age Distribution, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Body Mass Index, Cross-Sectional Studies, Estrogen Replacement Therapy, Female, Humans, Hypogonadism, Multivariate Analysis, Nonlinear Dynamics, Obesity, Ovariectomy, Ovary, Postmenopause, Predictive Value of Tests, Prevalence, Risk Factors, Testosterone |
| Abstract | <p><b>CONTEXT: </b>Little is known about testosterone (T) levels and their determinants in women of late postmenopausal age.</p><p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>We describe levels of total and free T and selected factors that influence these levels in a random sample of older women.</p><p><b>DESIGN: </b>Levels of serum total T and free T by microdialysis were measured using ultrasensitive assays in 347 community-dwelling women aged 65-98 yr enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Cross-sectional analyses were performed to define factors associated with total and free T levels.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>In adjusted models: 1) total T levels declined with age until 80, whereas free T levels did not vary by age; 2) women with bilateral oophorectomy had 23% lower total T and 16% lower free T levels than those with at least one intact ovary; 3) oral estrogen users had total and free T levels that were 47% lower than never users; 4) obese women had 47% higher total T and 20% higher free T levels, and overweight women had 24% higher total T and 14% higher free T levels, than normal weight women; and 5) free T levels were 51% higher in black women. Corticosteroid users had 75% lower total T and 43% lower free T levels than nonusers.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>Bilateral oophorectomy, estrogen use, corticosteroid use, and low body mass index are independent risk factors for lower T levels in women aged 65 yr and over. Although highly prevalent in women of this age, the physiological significance of low T levels in late postmenopausal women requires further investigation.</p> |
| DOI | 10.1210/jc.2006-1399 |
| Alternate Journal | J Clin Endocrinol Metab |
| PubMed ID | 17090636 |
| Grant List | K23 AG19161 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States N01 HC-15103 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-35129 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-85079 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States N01-HC-85086 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States / / Intramural NIH HHS / United States |