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Decreasing circulating testosterone, estradiol may increase coronary artery calcification
Age-adjusted increases in coronary artery calcification are related to decreased circulating testosterone and estradiol levels in men, study findings show.
The associations may express relationships attributable to or mediated by cardiovascular risk factors, according to researchers.
Thomas G. Travison, PhD, a senior scientist at Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research in Boston, and colleagues evaluated data from the Framingham Heart Study on 1,654 men (mean age, 49 years) to explain the link between serum total and calculated free testosterone, estrone, estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin to vascular calcification.
No thoracic aortic calcification was detected in 80% of participants, and 89% had thoracic aortic calcification of less than 100 Agatston units. Among participants with detectable calcification, the median coronary artery calcification was 91 Agatston units, median abdominal aortic calcification was 392 Agatston units and median thoracic artery calcification was 131 Agatston units.
In age-adjusted analyses, calcification at all sites was inversely associated with total testosterone and calculated free testosterone, whereas a positive association was found between estrone and abdominal aortic artery calcification and thoracic artery calcification. In multivariate analysis, estradiol was inversely associated with coronary artery calcification.
A between-subject increase in total testosterone of 100 ng/dL was linked to a mean age-adjusted difference in coronary artery calcification of –23% (P = .02). There was a nonsignificant association between testosterone and vascular calcification after adjustment for CV risk factors.
“These results provide additional evidence for lack of association of either circulating testosterone or estradiol with atherosclerosis in aging men independent of conventional [coronary heart disease] risk factors, but our data suggest a potential independent role for estrone,” the researchers wrote. “Prospective studies are needed to confirm or rule out this putative association in adult men.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.