the age trend in free T was more substantial (−1.3% per annum)
The core hormonal pattern with increasing age is suggestive of incipient primary testicular dysfunction with maintained total T and progressively blunted free T associated with higher LH.
Obesity was associated with progressively lower total and free T independent of the simultaneous decrease in SHBG.
our data highlight the fact that LH was unchanged or even lower in older men in the face of lower T in obesity, suggesting that there may be a failure at the hypothalamic-pituitary level.
a change in BMI from nonobese to obese may be equivalent to a 15 yr fall in T.
This pattern supports the hypothesis that different underlying mechanisms influence the functions of the HPT axis: age predominantly affects testicular function, whereas obesity impairs hypothalamic/pituitary function.
the effects of aging on testicular function can be moderated by increased LH compensation for many decades
obesity impairs hypothalamic/pituitary function independent of age, arguably an adaptive response for which there should be no compensatory mechanism.
the concurrent but opposite (and separate) effects of obesity and age on SHBG
SHBG was negatively associated with increasing strata of obesity
Obesity is associated with insulin resistance (28), and the increased circulating insulin inhibits hepatic SHBG synthesis
the SHBG increase with age may be related to relative IGF-I deficiency (27), although this has not been directly proven.
Obesity is associated with peripheral and central insulin resistance (30) and proinflammatory cytokine production (TNFα and IL-6) from adipocytes (31) and central nervous system endocannibinoid release (32), all of which are potential candidates for abrogating hypothalamic endocrine and downstream reproductive axis functions.
The HPA axis effect may be the result of inflammation.
The relationship between obesity and T can be bidirectional: low T may be the cause rather than consequence of obesity
chronic alcohol abuse is known to suppress LH (40), our data showed no significant association among the three hormones or SHBG and alcohol intake.
increase in total T in smokers occurs through a primary increase in SHBG with a compensatory rise in LH
the effects of obesity (BMI or waist circumference) was by far the most important determinant of variance in total T, whereas age per se was important for SHBG, LH, and free T with comorbidity and smoking being comparatively minor contributors
It is noteworthy that these predisposing lifestyle and health factors are modifiable. This implies that the apparent age-related decline in T may constitute a barometer of health and thus be potentially preventable and/or reversible.
Age induced decline in Testosterone is more associated with a decline in leydig cell function and thus elevated LH will be associated. In contrast, obesity is more of a HPA axis disruption and thus LH may be normal to low. The pulse amplitude is decrease. No change in pulse frequency is noted.
With obesity, a decline in TT and fT was independent of SHBG.
Aging is associated with a greater decrease in fT versus TT.
Additional studies have similarly found that prostate tissue levels of DHT in PCa patients treated with ADT therapy before
prostatectomy declined by only ∼75% versus declines of ∼95% in serum levels
In a recent study in healthy men, treatment for 1 month with a GnRH antagonist to suppress testicular androgen synthesis
caused a 94% decline in serum testosterone, but only a 70–80% decline in prostate tissue testosterone and DHT
progression to CRPC was associated with
increased intratumoral accumulation or synthesis of testosterone.
the intraprostatic synthesis of testosterone from adrenal-derived precursors likely accounts for
the relatively high testosterone levels in prostate after ADT
In addition,
AR activity in these cells is likely further enhanced by multiple mechanisms that sensitize AR to low levels of androgens
type 2 5α-reductase (SRD5A2) being the major enzyme in prostate
reduce DHT to 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (3α-androstanediol; Ji et al. 2003, Rizner et al. 2003), which is then glucuronidated to form 3α-androstanediol glucuronide by the enzymes UDP glycosyltransferase 2, B15 (UGT2B15)
or UGT2B17
DHT in prostate is inactivated by the enzyme AKR1C2, which is also
termed 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (3α-HSD type 3
The metabolite 3-alpha androstanediol is NOT inactive as this author states. This DHT metabolite actually can stimulate ER alpha receptors in the prostate.
AKR1C1, is also expressed in prostate. However, in contrast to AKR1C2, it converts DHT primarily
to 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol (3β-androstanediol; Steckelbroeck et al. 2004), which is a potential endogenous ligand for the estrogen receptor β
Significantly, intraprostatic testosterone levels were not substantially reduced relative to controls with normal
serum androgen levels, although DHT levels were reduced to 18% of controls
testosterone levels in many of the CRPC samples were actually increased relative to control tissues (Montgomery et al. 2008). While DHT levels were less markedly increased, this may have reflected DHT catabolism
This article discusses the failure of androgen deprivation therapy and prostate cancer. This failure is quite common. The authors point to alpha-DHT as the primary mechanism through AR stimulation. However, we know that DHT metabolites also stimulate estrogen receptors.
Studies have shown pharmacological doses of testosterone to relax coronary arteries when injected intraluminally [39] and to produce modest but consistent improvement in exercise-induced angina and reverse associated ECG changes [40]. The mechanism of action is via blockade of calcium channels with effect of similar magnitude to nifedipine
Testosterone acts as a calcium channel blocker inducing vasodilation.
men with chronic stable angina pectoris, the ischaemic threshold increased after 4 weeks of TRT and a recent study demonstrates improvement continuing beyond 12 months [
Exercise capacity in men with chronic heart failure increased after 12 weeks
Studies have shown an inverse relationship between serum testosterone and fasting blood glucose and insulin levels
Medications such as chronic analgesics, anticonvulsants, 5ARIs, and androgen ablation therapy are associated with increased risk of testosterone deficiency and insulin resistance
Women with T2D or metabolic syndrome characteristically have low SHBG and high free testosterone
Hypogonadism is a common feature of the metabolic syndrome
The precise interaction between insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and hypogonadism is, as yet, unclear but the important mechanisms are through increased aromatase production, raised leptin levels, and increase in inflammatory kinins
levels of testosterone are reduced in proportion to degree of obesity
Men should be encouraged to combine aerobic exercise with strength training. As muscle increases, glucose will be burned more efficiently and insulin levels will fall. A minimum of 30 minutes exercise three times weekly should be advised
Testosterone increases levels of fast-twitch muscle fibres
By increasing testosterone, levels of type 2 fibres increase and glucose burning improves
Weight loss will increase levels of testosterone
studies now clearly show that low testosterone leads to visceral obesity and metabolic syndrome and is also a consequence of obesity
In the case of MMAS [43], a baseline total testosterone of less than 10.4 nmol/L was associated with a greater than 4-fold incidence of type 2 diabetes over the next 9 years
There is high level evidence that TRT improves insulin resistance
Low testosterone predicts increased mortality and testosterone therapy improves survival in 587 men with type 2 diabetes
A similar retrospective US study involved 1031 men with 372 on TRT. The cumulative mortality was 21% in the untreated group versus 10% (
) in the treated group with the greatest effect in younger men and those with type 2 diabetes
the presence of ED has been shown to be an independent risk factor, particularly in hypogonadal men, increasing the risk of cardiac events by over 50%
A recent online publication on ischaemic heart disease mortality in men concluded optimal androgen levels are a biomarker for survival
inverse associations between low TT or FT (Table 2) and the severity of CAD
A recent 10 year study from Western Australia involving 3690 men followed up from 2001–2010 concluded that TT and FT levels in the normal range were associated with decreased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, for the first time suggesting that both low and DHT are associated with all-cause mortality and higher levels of DHT reduced cardiovascular risk
TDS is associated with increased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality
The effect of treatment with TRT reduced the mortality rate of treated cohort (8.4%) to that of the eugonadal group whereas the mortality for the untreated remained high at 19.2%
hypogonadal men had slightly increased triglycerides and HDL
Men with angiographically proven CAD (coronary artery disease) have significantly lower testosterone levels [29] compared to controls (
) and there was a significant inverse relationship between the degree of CAD and TT (total testosterone) levels
TRT has also been shown to reduce fibrinogen to levels similar to fibrates
men treated with long acting testosterone showed highly significant reductions in TC, LDL, and triglycerides with increase in HDL, associated with significant reduction in weight, BMI, and visceral fat
Low androgen levels are associated with an increase in inflammatory markers
A decline was noted in IL6 and TNF-alpha
In some studies, a decline in diastolic blood pressure has been observed, after 3–9 months [24, 26] and in systolic blood pressure
In the Moscow study, C-reactive protein was reduced by TRT at 30 weeks versus placebo
No studies to date show an increase in LUTS/BPH symptoms with higher serum testosterone levels
TRT has been shown to upregulate PDE5 [65] and enhance the effect of PDE5Is (now an accepted therapy for both ED and LUTS), it no longer seems logical to advice avoidance of TRT in men with mild to moderate BPH.
What about just starting with normalization of Testosterone levels first.
Several meta-analyses have failed to show a link between TRT and development of prostate cancer [66] but some studies have shown a tendency for more aggressive prostate cancer in men with low testosterone
And if one would have looked at their estrogen levels, I guarantee they would have been found to be elevated.
low bioavailable testosterone and high SHBG were associated with a 4.9- and 3.2-fold risk of positive biopsy
Current EAU, ISSAM, and BSSM guidance [1, 2] is that there is “no evidence TRT is associated with increased risk of prostate cancer or activation of subclinical cancer.”
Men with prostate cancer, treated with androgen deprivation, develop an increase of fat mass with an altered lipid profile
Erectile dysfunction is an established marker for future cardiovascular risk and the major presenting symptom leading to a diagnosis of low testosterone