Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2009) 20 P14

ECE2009 Poster Presentations Adrenal (54 abstracts)

Prediction of metabolic syndrome by low serum testosterone levels in men: results from the Study of Health in Pomerania

Robin Haring 1 , Henry Völzke 1 , Stephan B Felix 1 , Sabine Schipf 1 , Marcus Dörr 1 , Dieter Rosskopf 1 , Matthias Nauck 1 , Christof Schöfl 2 & Henri Wallaschofski 1


1Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Greifswald, Germany; 2Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.


Aim: The aim of this analysis was to determine whether low serum testosterone (T) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels predict the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in men.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP), a population-based prospective cohort of adults aged 20–79 at baseline. Analyses were conducted in 1004 men without baseline MetS, defined by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) guidelines. T and DHEAS were categorized by age-specific quartiles. To assess the association between sex hormone levels and MetS relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated from Poisson regression models.

Results: After a median follow-up time of 5.0 years, 480 men (47.8%) had developed MetS. T levels decrease with increasing number of MetS components. T levels in the lowest quartile predicted MetS (RR 1.37, 95% CI 1.14–1.66), particularly among men aged 20–40 years (RR 2.03, 95% CI 1.28; 3.23). Low DHEAS levels were not related to incident MetS after adjustment for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, and self-related health (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.75; 1.21).

Conclusions: Low T but not DHEAS predict development of MetS in a population-based cohort of men. Assessment of T in young and middle old men may allow early interventions in the general population.

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