Group items tagged

T may slow development of or progression of atherosclerosis by modulating effects on insulin resistance, inflammation, endothelial function, preclinical atherosclerosis or the vasculature.

these cross-sectional and longitudinal studies support a relationship between low circulating T with CIMT and higher E2 with its progression

lower levels of T are biomarkers for aortic vascular disease

circulating free T was negatively associated with the presence of AAA

luteinizing hormone (LH) was positively associated.

low levels of total or bioavailable T were associated with aortic atherosclerosis manifested as calcified deposits detected by radiography

Men with total or free T in the lowest quartile had increased adjusted ORs for PAD defined as ABI <0.90, as did men with free E2 in the highest quartile of values

The apparent association of SHBG with intermittent claudication reflects the correlation of total T with SHBG, while the contribution of E2 to risk of PAD remains unclear

men with total T in the lowest quartile of values (<11.7 nmol l−1 ) experienced an increased incidence of stroke or transient ischemic attack

lower total T with increased incidence of CVD events

cohort studies in mostly older men have supported the association of lower androgen levels with higher mortality

lower total or free T levels were associated with mortality in older men, but with discordant results for cause-specific mortality and for associations of E2

several large studies identifying lower endogenous levels of total or free T as independent predictors of all-cause or CVD-related deaths in middle-aged and older men

T exhibits anti-inflammatory effects, enhances flow-mediated brachial artery reactivity, and reduces arterial stiffness

Short-term T therapy had a beneficial effect on exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in middle-aged men with coronary artery disease or chronic stable angina, [95],[96],[97] and reduced angina frequency in older men with diabetes and coronary artery disease

T therapy resulted in an increase in treadmill test duration and time to ST segment depression

there are interventional studies supporting a protective effect of exogenous T against myocardial ischemia in men with coronary artery disease

employ conservative doses

Observational studies indicate that lower levels of endogenous T in older men are associated with the presence of carotid atherosclerosis, aortic and peripheral vascular disease, and incidence of CVD events and mortality

Interventional studies have shown beneficial effects of exogenous T on vascular function and on exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in men with coronary artery disease

Animal studies have consistently demonstrated that testosterone is atheroprotective, whereas testosterone deficiency promotes the early stages of atherogenesis

there is no compelling evidence that testosterone replacement to levels within the normal healthy range contributes adversely to the pathogenesis of CVD (Carson & Rosano 2011) or prostate cancer (Morgentaler & Schulman 2009)

bidirectional effect between decreased testosterone concentrations and disease pathology exists as concomitant cardiovascular risk factors (including inflammation, obesity and insulin resistance) are known to reduce testosterone levels and that testosterone confers beneficial effects on these cardiovascular risk factors

Achieving a normal physiological testosterone concentration through the administration of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has been shown to improve risk factors for atherosclerosis including reducing central adiposity and insulin resistance and improving lipid profiles (in particular, lowering cholesterol), clotting and inflammatory profiles and vascular function

It is well known that impaired erectile function and CVD are closely related in that ED can be the first clinical manifestation of atherosclerosis often preceding a cardiovascular event by 3–5 years

no decrease in the response (i.e. no tachyphylaxis) of testosterone and that patient benefit persists in the long term.

free testosterone levels within the physiological range, has been shown to result in a marked increase in both flow- and nitroglycerin-mediated brachial artery vasodilation in men with CAD

Clinical studies, however, have revealed either small reductions of 2–3 mm in diastolic pressure or no significant effects when testosterone is replaced within normal physiological limits in humans

Endothelium-independent mechanisms of testosterone are considered to occur primarily via the inhibition of voltage-operated Ca2+ channels (VOCCs) and/or activation of K+ channels (KCs) on smooth muscle cells (SMCs)

Testosterone shares the same molecular binding site as nifedipine

Testosterone increases the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and enhances nitric oxide (NO) production

Testosterone also inhibited the Ca2+ influx response to PGF2α

one of the major actions of testosterone is on NO and its signalling pathways

In addition to direct effects on NOS expression, testosterone may also affect phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5 (PDE5A)) gene expression, an enzyme controlling the degradation of cGMP, which acts as a vasodilatory second messenger

the significance of the action of testosterone on VSMC apoptosis and proliferation in atherosclerosis is difficult to delineate and may be dependent upon the stage of plaque development

Several human studies have shown that carotid IMT (CIMT) and aortic calcification negatively correlate with serum testosterone

t long-term testosterone treatment reduced CIMT in men with low testosterone levels and angina

neither intracellular nor membrane-associated ARs are required for the rapid vasodilator effect

acute responses appear to be AR independent, long-term AR-mediated effects on the vasculature have also been described, primarily in the context of vascular tone regulation via the modulation of gene transcription

Testosterone and DHT increased the expression of eNOS in HUVECs

oestrogens have been shown to activate eNOS and stimulate NO production in an ERα-dependent manner

Several studies, however, have demonstrated that the vasodilatory actions of testosterone are not reduced by aromatase inhibition

non-aromatisable DHT elicited similar vasodilation to testosterone treatment in arterial smooth muscle

increased endothelial NOS (eNOS) expression and phosphorylation were observed in testosterone- and DHT-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Androgen deprivation leads to a reduction in neuronal NOS expression associated with a decrease of intracavernosal pressure in penile arteries during erection, an effect that is promptly reversed by androgen replacement therapy

Observational evidence suggests that several pro-inflammatory cytokines (including interleukin 1β (IL1β), IL6, tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), and highly sensitive CRP) and serum testosterone levels are inversely associated in patients with CAD, T2DM and/or hypogonadism

patients with the highest IL1β concentrations had lower endogenous testosterone levels

TRT has been reported to significantly reduce TNFα and elevate the circulating anti-inflammatory IL10 in hypogonadal men with CVD

testosterone treatment to normalise levels in hypogonadal men with the MetS resulted in a significant reduction in the circulating CRP, IL1β and TNFα, with a trend towards lower IL6 compared with placebo

parenteral testosterone undecanoate, CRP decreased significantly in hypogonadal elderly men

Higher levels of serum adiponectin have been shown to lower cardiovascular risk

Research suggests that the expression of VCAM-1, as induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα or interferon γ (IFNγ (IFNG)) in endothelial cells, can be attenuated by treatment with testosterone

Testosterone also inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL6, IL1β and TNFα in a range of cell types including human endothelial cells

decreased inflammatory response to TNFα and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in human endothelial cells when treated with DHT

The key to unravelling the link between testosterone and its role in atherosclerosis may lay in the understanding of testosterone signalling and the cross-talk between receptors and intracellular events that result in pro- and/or anti-inflammatory actions in athero-sensitive cells.

testosterone functions through the AR to modulate adhesion molecule expression

pre-treatment with DHT reduced the cytokine-stimulated inflammatory response

DHT inhibited NFκB activation

DHT could inhibit an LPS-induced upregulation of MCP1

Both NFκB and AR act at the transcriptional level and have been experimentally found to be antagonistic to each other

As the AR and NFκB are mutual antagonists, their interaction and influence on functions can be bidirectional, with inflammatory agents that activate NFκB interfering with normal androgen signalling as well as the AR interrupting NFκB inflammatory transcription

prolonged exposure of vascular cells to the inflammatory activation of NFκB associated with atherosclerosis may reduce or alter any potentially protective effects of testosterone

DHT and IFNγ also modulate each other's signalling through interaction at the transcriptional level, suggesting that androgens down-regulate IFN-induced genes

(Simoncini et al. 2000a,b). Norata et al. (2010) suggest that part of the testosterone-mediated atheroprotective effects could depend on ER activation mediated by the testosterone/DHT 3β-derivative, 3β-Adiol

TNFα-induced induction of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin as well as MCP1 and IL6 was significantly reduced by a pre-incubation with 3β-Adiol in HUVECs

3β-Adiol also reduced LPS-induced gene expression of IL6, TNFα, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2 (PTGS2)), CD40, CX3CR1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, MMP9, resistin, pentraxin-3 and MCP1 in the monocytic cell line U937 (Norata et al. 2010)

This study suggests that testosterone metabolites, other than those generated through aromatisation, could exert anti-inflammatory effects that are mediated by ER activation.

The authors suggest that DHT differentially effects COX2 levels under physiological and pathophysiological conditions in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells and via AR-dependent and -independent mechanisms influenced by the physiological state of the cell

There are, however, a number of systematic meta-analyses of clinical trials of TRT that have not demonstrated an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events or mortality

The TOM trial, which was designed to investigate the effect of TRT on frailty in elderly men, was terminated prematurely as a result of an increased incidence of cardiovascular-related events after 6 months in the treatment arm

trials of TRT in men with either chronic stable angina or chronic cardiac failure have also found no increase in either cardiovascular events or mortality in studies up to 12 months

Evidence may therefore suggest that low testosterone levels and testosterone levels above the normal range have an adverse effect on CVD, whereas testosterone levels titrated to within the mid- to upper-normal range have at least a neutral effect or, taking into account the knowledge of the beneficial effects of testosterone on a series of cardiovascular risk factors, there may possibly be a cardioprotective action

The effect of testosterone on human vascular function is a complex issue and may be dependent upon the underlying androgen and/or disease status.

the majority of studies suggest that testosterone may display both acute and chronic vasodilatory effects upon various vascular beds at both physiological and supraphysiological concentrations and via endothelium-dependent and -independent mechanisms

FT3 levels were inversely correlated to coronary artery disease

In longitudinal studies, decreased levels of total testosterone and SHBG predicted an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome in nonobese men

Free testosterone level is not associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and older men

Levels of free, bioavailable and total testosterone are lower in men with T2DM than in age-matched controls,34, 35 and decreased total testosterone level predicts incident T2DM in middle-aged men.

men with T2DM commonly have low total or free testosterone levels

Total, bioavailable and free testosterone levels are inversely correlated with fasting insulin level and insulin resistance in middle-aged men without T2DM

total testosterone is positively correlated with insulin sensitivity in men with normal or impaired glucose tolerance or T2DM

low SHBG level is more strongly associated with metabolic syndrome than low total testosterone in aging men

the recognized association between low SHBG level and insulin resistance

Low levels of SHBG are also associated with smaller, denser LDL-cholesterol molecules in nondiabetic men,58 and were found to predict increased cardiovascular disease mortality in one study of older men

Low levels of SHBG might reflect obesity, insulin resistance and overall poor health

Compared with those who have normal testosterone levels, men aged 40 years or more with total testosterone levels <9.8 nmol/l or elevated LH level have greater CIMT

In men aged 73–94 years, total testosterone was inversely correlated with CIMT

a prospective analysis of men aged 73–91 years, progression of CIMT was not related to total testosterone level, but it was inversely related to free testosterone level

A study of men aged 55 years or more found that those with total and bioavailable testosterone levels in the highest tertile had a lower risk of severe aortic atherosclerosis (detected by radiography as abdominal aortic calcification) than those with the lowest testosterone levels.

a large study of men aged 69–80 years, those with total or free testosterone in the lowest quartile had increased odds of lower-extremity peripheral arterial disease

the possibility of reverse causation has to be considered, as systemic illness can result in decreased testosterone levels

previous case–control studies and longitudinal studies have failed to identify low testosterone levels as strong predictors of clinically significant coronary disease

Reviews of trials on testosterone therapy in men with either low or low-to-normal testosterone levels have not shown consistent beneficial effects either on lipid profiles or on actual cardiovascular events.24, 54, 55 These trials, however, have not been designed or powered to detect treatment-related differences in cardiovascular outcome

advanced age, obesity, a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, and poor general health status were predictors of LOH

Diabetes mellitus was correlated with hypogonadism in most studies

coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease did not predict hypogonadism, they did correlate with the incidence of low testosterone

LOH can be defined by the presence of at least three sexual symptoms associated with a total testosterone level of less than 11 nmol/L (3.2 ng/mL) and a free testosterone level of less than 220 pmol/L (64 pg/mL)

Mean weight decreased

Waist circumference decreased

Total cholesterol decreased

Low-density lipoprotein decreased

Triglycerides decreased

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased

ratio of total cholesterol to HDL improved

Prostate volume increased

PSA increased

The benefits for men older than 65 years of age were compared with those of younger men, and the improvements in body weight, metabolic factors, psychological functioning, and sexual functioning were of the same magnitude in both age groups

weight loss was progressive over the 6-year period, effects of testosterone on lipids and on psychological and sexual functioning reached a plateau after approximately 3 years and these effects were sustained

Effects of testosterone on hematopoiesis, on the prostate, and on bladder function were not more severe in older men than in younger men

observe a mild increase in prostate volume and serum PSA over time, which is a normal finding in aging men. Maybe somewhat surprising, postvoiding residue and the IPSS did not deteriorate with aging but showed a degree of improvement

the severity of the metabolic syndrome is associated with the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms

The symptoms of the metabolic syndrome improve upon testosterone treatment and testosterone may thus have a favorable effect on lower urinary tract symptoms

it seems reasonable to conclude that the risks of testosterone administration to elderly men are not disproportionately higher in elderly men than in younger men.

Despite evidence to the contrary, physicians still harbor a wrongful association between testosterone and the development of prostate pathology (prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia)

Not surprisingly, the incidence of prostate cancer was higher in older men; however, it was lower than expected in both groups

These observations suggest that the incidence of prostate cancer in patients receiving testosterone therapy, both in the younger and in the older group, was not greater than in the general population not receiving testosterone treatment

The historical fear that raising testosterone levels will result in more prostate cancer has been dispelled, particularly by the work of Abraham Morgentaler

Higher serum testosterone levels fail to show an increased risk of prostate cancer, and supraphysiological testosterone does not increase prostate volume or PSA in healthy men

This apparent paradox is explained by the "saturation model,"

Recent studies indicate no increased risk of prostate cancer among men with serum testosterone in the therapeutic range

In the present observational study, no cases of major adverse cardiovascular events occurred.

the benefits of testosterone therapy are fully achieved only by long-term treatment

To achieve maximal benefits, good patient adherence is a prerequisite