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Ethnic differences in adiposity may explain varying reproductive hormone levels
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Differences in adiposity may account for differences in reproductive hormone levels, testosterone levels in particular, among adult men of South Asian, white European and African Caribbean ethnicities, study data show.
Robert J.A.H. Eendebak, MSc, of the faculty of medical and human sciences, andrology research unit, Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Institute of Human Development at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and colleagues evaluated data from the Human Serum Metabolome study on men (mean age, 59 years) of South Asian (n = 180), white European (n = 328) and African Caribbean (n = 166) ethnicities to determine whether differences in reproductive hormone levels exist and if they can be explained by adiposity, insulin resistance or comorbidities.
In fully adjusted models for age, frequent alcohol intake, smoking, percent body fat, insulin resistance and comorbidities, South Asian participants had lower testosterone and higher luteinizing hormone levels compared with white European participants.
No significant differences were observed for hormone levels in fully adjusted models between South Asian and African Caribbean participants or between African Caribbean and white European participants.
In South Asian participants, BMI was not related to reproductive hormone levels in age-adjusted and multivariable-adjusted analyses. In the age-adjusted analysis, there was a weak negative relationship between waist circumference and testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin and a negative association between testosterone and percent body fat; the relationships were no longer significant in the multivariable analysis.
In age-adjusted and fully adjusted models, strong negative relationships were observed between BMI and waist circumference with testosterone calculated free testosterone and SHBG in white European and African Caribbean participants.
Negative relationships with testosterone and calculated free testosterone with homeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were observed in white European and African Caribbean participants. A negative relationship existed between luteinizing hormone and HOMA-IR in white European participants. HOMA-IR was not related to any reproductive hormone in South Asian participants. Further, in multivariable-adjusted models, HOMA-IR was no longer associated with reproductive hormones in any participant.
“We have shown that [testosterone] and [calculated free testosterone] levels were lower in [South Asian] men when compared to [white European] and [African Caribbean] men,” the researchers wrote. “After adjusting for confounders, [testosterone] was lower and [luteinizing hormone] higher in [South Asian] compared to [white European] men. Differences in [calculated free testosterone] levels between [South Asian] and [white European] men appear to be explained by body fat. [Testosterone] and [calculated free testosterone] levels in [South Asian] men were only weakly related to adiposity, in contrast to the strong negative relationships observed in [white European] and [African Caribbean] men.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: Eendebak reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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