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Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone level in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and related metabolic... - 0 views

  • defined by consistent symptoms and signs of androgen deficiency, and an unequivocally low serum testosterone level
  • the threshold serum testosterone level below which adverse clinical outcomes occur in the general population is not known
  • most population-based studies use the serum testosterone level corresponding to the lower limit, quoted from 8.7 to 12.7 nmol/L, of the normal range for young Caucasian men as the threshold
    • Nathan Goodyear
       
      this equals 251 to 366 in serum Total Testosterone
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  • Researchers tried to examine whether serum total or free testosterone would be a better/more reliable choice when studying the effect of testosterone. The results were mixed. Some reported significant associations of both serum total and free testosterone level with clinical parameters25, whereas others reported that only serum free testosterone26 or only serum total testosterone6 showed significant associations.
  • −0.124 nmol/L/year in serum total testosterone
    • Nathan Goodyear
       
      this equates to a 4 ng/dl decline annually in total Testosterone.
  • In experimental studies, androgen receptor knockout mice developed significant insulin resistance rapidly
  • In mouse models, testosterone promoted differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to the myogenic lineage
  • testosterone decreased insulin resistance by enhancing catecholamine induced lipolysis in vitro, and reducing lipoprotein lipase activity and triglyceride uptake in human abdominal tissue in vivo
  • by promoting lipolysis and myogenesis, testosterone might lead to improved insulin resistance
  • testosterone regulated skeletal muscle genes involved in glucose metabolism that led to decreased systemic insulin resistance
  • In the liver, hepatic androgen receptor signaling inhibited development of insulin resistance in mice
  • independent and inverse association of testosterone with hepatic steatosis shown in a cross-sectional study carried out in humans
  • In short, androgen improves insulin resistance by changing body composition and reducing body fat.
  • Although a low serum testosterone level could contribute to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes through changes in body composition, obesity might also alter the metabolism of testosterone
  • In obese men, the peripheral conversion from testosterone to estrogen could attenuate the amplitude of luteinizing hormone pulses and centrally inhibit testosterone production
  • leptin, an adipokine, has been shown to be inversely correlated with serum testosterone level in men
  • Leydig cells expressed leptin receptors and leptin has been shown to inhibit testosterone secretion, suggesting a role of obesity and leptin in the pathogenesis of low testosterone
    • Nathan Goodyear
       
      So what is "unequivocal"?
  • Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) cohort made up of 3,565 middle-class, mostly Caucasian men from the USA, the incidence of low serum total testosterone increased from approximately 20% of men aged over 60 years, 30% over 70 years, to 50% over 80 years-of-age
  • 30–44% sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)-bound testosterone and 54–68% albumin-bound testosterone
  • As the binding of testosterone to albumin is non-specific and therefore not tight, the sum of free and albumin-bound testosterone is named bioavailable testosterone, which reflects the hormone available at the cellular level
  • Serum total testosterone is composed of 0.5–3.0% of free testosterone unbound to plasma proteins
  • alterations in SHBG concentration might affect total serum testosterone level without altering free or bioavailable testosterone
  • listed in Table​T
  • A significant, independent and longitudinal effect of age on testosterone has been observed with an average change of −0.124 nmol/L/year in serum total testosterone28. The same trend has been shown in Europe and Australia
  • Asian men residing in HK and Japan, but not those living in the USA, had 20% higher serum total testosterone than in Caucasians living in the USA, as shown in a large multinational observational prospective cohort of the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study
  • subjects with chronic diseases consistently had a 10–15% lower level compared with age-matched healthy subjects
  • In Caucasians, the mean serum total testosterone level for men in large epidemiological studies has been reported to range from 15.1 to 16.6 nmol/L
  • Asians, higher values, ranging from 18.1 to 19.1 nmol/L, were seen in Korea and Japan
  • Chinese middle-aged men reported a similar mean serum testosterone level of 17.1 nmol/L in 179 men who had a family history of type 2 diabetes and 17.8 nmol/L in 128 men who had no family history of type 2 diabetes
  • The reduction of total testosterone was 0.4% per year in both groups
  • HK involving a cohort of 1,489 community-dwelling men with a mean age of 72 years, a mean serum total testosterone of 19.0 nmol/L was reported
  • pro-inflammatory factors, such as tumor necrosis factor-α in the testes, could locally inhibit testosterone biosynthesis in Leydig cells47, and testosterone treatment in men was shown to reduce the level of tumor necrosis factor-α
  • In Asians, a genetic deletion polymorphism of uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase UGT2B17 was associated with reduced androgen glucuronidation. This resulted in higher level of active androgen in Asians as compared to Caucasians, as Caucasians' androgen would be glucuronidated into inactive forms faster.
  • Compared with Caucasians, the frequency of this deletion polymorphism of UGT2B17 was 22-fold higher in Asian subjects
  • Other researchers have suggested that environmental, but not genetic, factors influenced serum total testosterone
  • The basal and ligand-induced activity of the AR is inversely associated with the length of the CAG repeat chain
  • In the European Male Aging Study, increased estrogen/androgen ratio in association with longer AR CAG repeat was observed
  • a smaller number of AR CAG repeat had been shown to be associated with benign prostate hypertrophy and faster prostate growth during testosterone treatment
  • In India, men with CAG ≤19 had increased risk of prostate cancer
  • the odds of having a short CAG repeat (≤17) were substantially higher in patients with lymph node-positive prostate cancer than in those with lymph node-negative disease or in the general population
  • assessing the polymorphism at the AR level could be a potential tool towards individualized assessment and treatment of hypogonadism.
  • In elderly men, there was reduced testicular response to gonadotropins with suppressed and altered pulsatility of the hypothalamic pulse generator
  • a significant, independent and longitudinal effect of age on serum total testosterone level had been observed
  • A significant graded inverse association between serum testosterone level and insulin levels independent of age has also been reported in Caucasian men
  • Low testosterone is commonly associated with a high prevalence of MES
  • most studies showed that changes in serum testosterone level led to changes in body composition, insulin resistance and the presence of MES, the reverse might also be possible
  • MES predicted a 2.6-fold increased risk of development of low serum testosterone level independent of age, smoking and other potential confounders
  • Other prospective studies have shown that development of MES accelerated the age-related decline in serum testosterone level
  • In men with type 2 diabetes, changes in serum testosterone level over time correlated inversely with changes in insulin resistance
  • weight loss by either diet control or bariatric surgery led to a substantial increase in total testosterone, especially in morbidly obese men, and the rise in serum testosterone level was proportional to the amount of weight lost
  • To date, published clinical trials are small, of short duration and often used pharmacological, not physiological, doses of testosterone
  • In the population-based Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study cohort from Sweden, men in the highest quartile of serum testosterone level had the lowest risk of cardiovascular events compared with men in the other three quartiles (hazard ratio [HR] 0.70
  • low serum total testosterone was associated with a significant fourfold higher risk of cardiovascular events when comparing men from the lowest testosterone tertile with those in the highest tertile
  • Shores et al. were the first to report that low serum testosterone level, including both serum total and free testosterone, was associated with increased mortality
  • low serum total testosterone predicted increased risk of cardiovascular mortality with a HR of 1.38
  • low serum total testosterone increased all-cause (HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.13–1.62, P < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.25
  • European Association for the Study of Diabetes 2013 suggested there was an inverse relationship between serum testosterone level and acute myocardial infarction
  • Diabetic men in the highest quartile of serum total testosterone had a significantly reduced risk of acute MI when compared with those in the lower quartiles
  • serum total testosterone level in the middle two quartiles at baseline predicted reduced incidence of death compared with having the highest and lowest levels
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    Nice review of Testosterone levels and some of the evidence linking Diabetes with low T.  However, the conclusion by the authors regarding what is causing the low T in men with Diabetes is baffling.  The literature does not point to one cause, it is clearly multifactorial--obesity, inflammation, high aromatase activity...I would suggest the authors continue their readings in the manner.
Nathan Goodyear

Comparison of salivary versus serum testos... [Menopause. 2009 Jul-Aug] - PubMed - NCBI - 0 views

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    this study looked at salivary testosterone to serum testosterone and found poor correlation.  One major problem with this study is the significantly smaller amount (10 fold) of testosterone in women than men in healthy individuals.  This study took place in postmenopausal women, which would have significantly lower levels than healthy women.  They also don't discuss the pitfalls of equilibrium dialysis of serum free testosterone.  Another major flaw is the mere logic of looking at serum for tissue activity.   What is the correlation between serum levels and tissue activity.  There is tremendous assumptions being undertaken that serum levels of testosterone whether total or free translate to genomic or non-genomic signaling.  I also wonder if newer techniques using Mass Spec can better detect the typically pico levels of testosterone in women's saliva?  This study does nothing to dissuade the use of salivary testing.
Nathan Goodyear

Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer with Gc Protein-Derived Macrophage-Activating Factor,... - 0 views

  • the MAF precursor activity of prostate cancer patient Gc protein is lost or reduced, because their serum Gc protein is deglycosylated by serum α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (Nagalase) secreted from cancerous cells
  • Administration of 100 ng of GcMAF
  • 100 ng of GcMAF was administered intramuscularly once a week
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  • As GcMAF therapy progressed the MAF precursor activity of all five patients increased and their serum Nagalase activity decreased inversely
  • As GcMAF therapy progressed, the MAF precursor activity increased with a concomitant decrease in serum Nagalase activity
  • serum Nagalase is proportional to tumor burden
  • as GcMAF therapy progressed, serum Nagalase activity decreased and, concomitantly, tumor burden decreased
  • the serum Nagalase activities of all 16 patients decreased as GcMAF therapy progressed
  • annual computed tomographic scans of these patients confirmed them being tumor recurrence-free for the 7 years
  • undifferentiated cells were killed rapidly during the first few weeks, and the differentiated cells were killed slowly in the remaining GcMAF therapeutic period
  • PSA levels of prostatectomized patients decreased as serum Nagalase decreased during GcMAF therapy
  • In patients without tumor resection, however, although serum Nagalase activity decreased as GcMAF therapy progressed, their PSA values remained unchanged. The result suggests that the PSA derived from tumor-bearing prostate did not change while tumor burden decreased. Because tumor-induced inflammation in the noncancerous prostate tissues causes secretion of PSA [38], the PSA produced from these inflamed noncancerous prostate tissues cannot be changed by the decrease in tumor burden
  • Advanced cancer patients have high serum Nagalase activities, resulting in no macrophage activation and severe immunosuppression that explain why cancer patients die with overwhelming infection
  • Prognostic utility of serum α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase and immunosuppression resulted from deglycosylation of serum Gc protein in oral cancer patients
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    GC-MAF levels exist in inverse relationship to nagalase.  In this study of men with prostate cancer, weekly GCMAF injections reduced Nagalase activity to levels found in healthy controls suggesting tumor free. The dose was 100 ng/week. Nagalase is a protein that suppresses GC-MAF production and thus is immunosuppressive.
Nathan Goodyear

Genetic Determinants of Serum Testosterone Concentrations in Men - 0 views

  • mean serum testosterone concentrations were found to be lower in men with GG than in those with TT genotype for rs12150660
  • men with the CT genotype for rs6258 had lower serum testosterone concentrations than those with CC genotype.
  • The two autosomal SNPs identified by GWAS had a significant influence on the risk of having low serum testosterone (serum testosterone <300 ng/dl) in both the discovery and the replication cohorts with a combined odds ratio (OR) per minor allele of 0.72 (95% CI, 0.65 – 0.79) and 2.7 (95% CI, 2.1 – 3.5) for rs12150660 and rs6258, respectively
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  • The risk of having low serum testosterone concentrations increased by the number of risk alleles with an OR of 1.62 (95% CI, 1.41 – 1.86) for each risk allele (Figure S4). Low serum testosterone concentrations were 6.5-times more prevalent in men with ≥3 risk alleles (30.1% prevalence of low serum testosterone) compared to men without any risk allele (4.6% prevalence of low serum testosterone;
  • SNP rs5934505 was associated with serum testosterone without SHBG-adjustment (combined p-value of 1.7×10−9) and with free testosterone (combined p-value of 6.7×10−15), but not with SHBG
  • The mean serum testosterone and calculated free testosterone but not SHBG concentrations were lower in men with T genotype than in those with C genotype for rs5934505
  •  
    Genetic SNP rs5934505 associated with lower total Testosterone and lower calculated free Testosterone.  No effects on SHBG.
Nathan Goodyear

Serum Sex Steroids in Premenopausal Women and Breast Cancer Risk Within the European Pr... - 0 views

  •  
    Study finds that elevated serum Testosterone and androstenedione is associated with an increase risk of breast cancer.  This EPIC study looked at serum hormones in premenopausal women.  This study also found an association with increased breast cancer and low serum progesterone in women.  This was also found in the ORDET study.  This study did not find a link with estrogen.  These are endogenous levels.  Does this translate to exogenous? This theory of elevated androgens and breast cancer was first proposed by Grattarola.
Nathan Goodyear

A Critical evaluation of salivary testosterone as a... [Steroids. 2014] - PubMed - NCBI - 0 views

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    Since when did one medium of evaluation become the only standard.  Since serum T has been the historical standard, that is the only window of evaluation??  This study points to higher free Testosterone levels in saliva versus serum. Has anyone ever thought that we are merely looking through different windows of the same process.  Each window here, serum and saliva, are merely giving us different information on hormones.  That doesn't make one right or wrong, it just requires interpretation.  Science is about being objective! Saliva is the best means to evaluate intracellular hormone levels.  These levels should be different than serum.  Why should anyone think that the total levels would correlate with that delivered to a cell.  Think.
Nathan Goodyear

Branched Chain Amino Acid Supplementation for Patients with Cirrhosis | Clinical Correl... - 0 views

  • low level of BCAAs in patients with cirrhosis is hypothesized to be one of multiple factors responsible for development of hepatic encephalopathy
  • supplementation of BCAAs is thought to facilitate ammonia detoxification by supporting synthesis of glutamine, one of the non-branched chain amino acids, in skeletal muscle and in the brain as well as diminishing the influx of AAAs across the blood-brain barrier
  • oral BCAA supplementation is more useful in chronic encephalopathic patients than is parenteral BCAA supplementation in patients with acute encephalopathy
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  • malnutrition progressing to cachexia is another common manifestation of cirrhosis
  • Malnutrition can be mitigated with BCAA supplementation
  • Studies show that administration of amino acid formulas enriched with BCAAs can reduce protein loss, support protein synthesis, and improve nutritional status of patients with chronic liver disease
  • Leucine has been shown to be the most effective of the BCAAs because it acts via multiple pathways to stimulate protein synthesis
  • BCAAs metabolites inhibit proteolysis
  • Patients with cirrhosis have both insulin deficiency and insulin resistance
  • BCAAs (particularly leucine) help to reverse the catabolic, hyperglucagonemic state of cirrhosis both by stimulating insulin release from the pancreatic β cells and by decreasing insulin resistance allowing for better glucose utilization
  • Coadministration of BCAAs and glucose has been found to be particularly useful
  • BCAA supplementation improves protein-energy malnutrition by improving utilization of glucose, thereby diminishing the drive for proteolysis, inhibiting protein breakdown, and stimulating protein synthesis
  • Cirrhotic patients have impaired immune defense, characterized by defective phagocytic activity and impaired intracellular killing activity
  • another effect of BCAA supplementation is improvement of phagocytic function of neutrophils and possibly improvement in natural killer T (NKT) cell lymphocyte activity
  • BCAA supplementation may reduce the risk of infection in patients with advanced cirrhosis not only through improvement in protein-energy malnutrition but also by directly improving the function of the immune cells themselves
  • BCAA administration has also been shown to have a positive effect on liver regeneration
  • A proposed mechanism for improved liver regeneration is the stimulatory effect of BCAAs (particularly leucine) on the secretion of hepatocyte growth factor by hepatic stellate cells
  • BCAAs activate rapamycin signaling pathways which promotes albumin synthesis in the liver as well as protein and glycogen synthesis in muscle tissue
  • Chemical improvement with BCAA treatment is demonstrated by recovery of serum albumin and lowering of serum bilirubin levels
  • long-term oral BCAA supplementation was useful in staving off malnutrition and improving survival by preventing end-stage fatal complications of cirrhosis such as hepatic failure and gastrointestinal bleeding
  • The incidence of death by any cause, development of liver cancer, rupture of esophageal varices, or progression to hepatic failure was decreased in the group that received BCAA supplementation
  • Patients receiving BCAA supplementation also have a lower average hospital admission rate, better nutritional status, and better liver function tests
  • patients taking BCAA supplementation report improved quality of life
  • BCAAs have been shown to mitigate hepatic encephalopathy, cachexia, and infection rates, complications associated with the progression of hepatic cirrhosis
  • BCAAs make up 20-25% of the protein content of most foods
  • Highest levels are found in casein whey protein of dairy products and vegetables, such as corn and mushrooms. Other sources include egg albumin, beans, peanuts and brown rice bran
  • In addition to BCAAs from diet, oral supplements of BCAAs can be used
  • Oral supplementation tends to provide a better hepatic supply of BCAAs for patients able to tolerate PO nutrition as compared with IV supplementation, especially when treating symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy
  • Coadministration of BCAAs with carnitine and zinc has also been shown to increase ammonia metabolism further reducing the encephalopathic symptoms
  • Cirrhotic patients benefit from eating frequent, small meals that prevent long fasts which place the patient in a catabolic state
  • the best time for BCAA supplementation is at bedtime to improve the catabolic state during starvation in early morning fasting
  • A late night nutritional snack reduces symptoms of weakness and fatigability, lowers postprandial hyperglycemia, increases skeletal muscle mass,[25] improves nitrogen balance, and increases serum albumin levels.[26] Nocturnal BCAAs even improve serum albumin in cirrhotic patients who show no improvement with daytime BCAAs
  • Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), with low serum albumin and low muscle mass, occurs in 65-90% of cases of advanced cirrhosis
  • hyperglucagonemia results in a catabolic state eventually producing anorexia and cachexia
  • BCAAs are further depleted from the circulation due to increased uptake by skeletal muscles that use the BCAAs in the synthesis of glutamine, which is produced in order to clear the ammonia that is not cleared by the failing liver
  • patients with chronic liver disease, particularly cirrhosis, routinely have decreased BCAAs and increased aromatic amino acids (AAAs) in their circulation
  • Maintaining a higher serum albumin in patients with cirrhosis is associated with decreased mortality and improved quality of life
  • the serum BCAA concentration is strongly correlated with the serum albumin level
  •  
    great review of cirrhosis and BCCA supplementation.
Nathan Goodyear

Secular Decline in Male Testosterone and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin Serum Levels in D... - 0 views

  • Serum SHBG levels are negatively associated with obesity and various measures of insulin resistance
  • SHBG levels increase during pharmacological oral estrogen treatment
  • insulin decreases SHBG productio
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  • The secular decline in SHBG and testosterone serum levels did not lead to a change in the level of free testosterone
  • existence of specific binding sites for SHBG at the cell membrane of steroid-responsive tissues has been shown
  • it is alarming that changes of this magnitude can be detected over such a relatively short time
  • Sex steroids stimulate SHBG production and secretion in vitro
  • Serum testosterone levels decreased and SHBG levels increased with increasing age
  •  
    lower levels of SHBG and serum testosterone were found in more recently born men.  Preceding generations of men produced higher testosterone levels than men born in more recent generations.
Nathan Goodyear

Review of health risks of low testosterone and testosterone administration - 0 views

  • Hypogonadism may be defined either as serum concentration of T (either total T, bioavailable T or free T) or as low T plus symptoms of hypogonadism
  • The Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging reported the incidence of total serum T < 325 ng/dL to be 20% for men in their 60s, 30% for men in their 70s and 50% for men over 80
  • The Massachusetts Aging Male Study reported that 12.3% of men aged 40 to 70 had a total serum T of < 200 ng/dL with 3 or more symptoms of hypogonadism
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  • The Boston Area Community Health Study reported that 5.6% of men aged 30 to 70 were hypogonadal, as defined by total serum T < 300 ng/dL; or, free serum T < 5 ng/dL plus 3 or more symptoms of hypogonadism
  • In a health screening project among 819 men in Taiwan, the prevalence of hypogonadism (total serum T < 300 ng/dL) ranged from 16.5% for men in their 40s, 23.0% for men in their 50s, 28.9% for men in their 60s, and 37.2% for men older than 70 years of age
  • The prevalence of hypogonadism among men in Taiwan is higher than the prevalence reported in the Massachusetts Male Aging Study
  • CAG repeat sequence, within the androgen receptor (AR). Rajender et al[12] reviewed over 30 studies on the AR trinucleotide repeat and infertility
  • suggestion that CAG repeat length may determine androgen responsiveness, this issue is not clearly settled
  • reported prevalence of low T in older men range from 5.6% to 50%
  • Those in the hypogonadal group (n = 4269) had direct health care costs, that exceeded the eugonadal group (n = 4269) by an average of $7100 over the course of the observation window
  • higher economic burden and presence of co-morbidities for hypogonadism
  • minor to moderate improvements in lean mass and muscle strength
  • increased bone mineral density
  • modest enhancement in sexual function
  • reduced adiposity
  • lessening of depressive symptoms
  • Meta-analyses of clinical TRT trials as of 2010 have identified three major adverse events resulting from TRT: (1) polycythemia; (2) an increase in prostate-related events; and (3) and a slight reduction in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
  • polycythemia (> 3.5-fold increase in risk
  • TRT produced a 40% prostate enlargement in older hypogonadal male Veterans over 12 mo
  • no published analysis has reported measurable increases in prostate cancer risk or Gleason score in men undergoing TRT, or in hypogonadal men with a history of prostate cancer undergoing TRT
  • the prostate which highly expresses the type II 5α-reductase enzyme. Inhibition of this enzyme via finasteride (a type II 5α-reductase inhibitor) or dutasteride (a dual type I and II 5α-reductase inhibitor) reduces circulating DHT 50%-75% and > 90%, respectively[47], and reduces prostate mass[48] and prostate cancer risk
  • Normally estradiol partially regulates testosterone levels, at the hypothalamus, blunting LH and FSH release from the pituitary. As a selective estrogen receptor modulator, CC interrupts this pathway, and consequently there is a greater stimulation for the production of testosterone in Leydig cells
    • Nathan Goodyear
       
      this would only apply if E1 and/or E2 levels were elevated, which the authors make no mention of.
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    to be read
Nathan Goodyear

Percutaneous progesterone delivery via cream or gel application in postmenopausal women... - 0 views

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    Topical hormones best evaluated via saliva and/or blood spot. Urine and particularly serum does not increase with dosing.  That does not mean the topical hormone therapy is ineffective, just that serum and urine are not optimal to follow topical therapy.  When looking at endogenous hormones without any therapies: serum, saliva, urine, and blood spot are equivalent.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone for the aging male; current evidence and recommended practice - 0 views

  • Total serum testosterone consists of free testosterone (2%–3%), testosterone bound to sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) (45%) and testosterone bound to other proteins (mainly albumin −50%)
  • Testosterone binds only loosely to albumin and so this testosterone as well as free testosterone is available to tissues and is termed bioavailable testosterone
  • Testosterone bound to SHBG is tightly bound and is biologically inactive
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  • Bioavailable and free testosterone are known to correlate better than total testosterone with clinical sequelae of androgenization such as bone mineral density and muscle strength
  • peak levels seen in the morning following sleep, which can be maintained into the seventh decade
  • Samples should always be taken in the morning before 11 am
  • The reliable measurement of serum free testosterone requires equilibrium dialysis. This is not appropriate for clinical use as it is very time consuming and therefore expensive.
  • With increasing age, a greater number of men have total testosterone levels just below the normal range or in the low-normal range. In these patients total testosterone can be an unreliable indicator of hypogonadal status.
  • It is advised that at least two serum testosterone measurements, taken before 11 am on different mornings, are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
  • Patients with serum total testosterone consistently below 8 nmol/l invariably demonstrate the clinical syndrome of hypogonadism and are likely to benefit from treatment. Patients with serum total testosterone in the range 8–12 nmol/l often have symptoms attributable to hypogonadism and it may be decided to offer either a clinical trial of testosterone treatment or to make further efforts to define serum bioavailable or free testosterone and then reconsider treatment. Patients with serum total testosterone persistently above 12 nmol/l do not have hypogonadism and symptoms are likely to be due to other disease states or ageing per se so testosterone treatment is not indicated.
  • Total testosterone levels fall at an average of 1.6% per year whilst free and bioavailable levels fall by 2%–3% per year.
  • With advancing age there is also a reduction in androgen receptor concentration in some target tissues and this may contribute to the clinical syndrome of LOH
  • Metabolic clearance declines with age
  • Gonadotrophin levels rise during aging (Feldman et al 2002) and testicular secretory responses to recombinant human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) are reduced
  • There are changes in the lutenising hormone (LH) production which consist of decreased LH pulse frequency and amplitude, (Veldhuis et al 1992; Pincus et al 1997) although pituitary production of LH in response to pharmacological stimulation with exogenous GnRH analogues is preserved
  • the decreases in testosterone levels with aging seem to reflect changes at all levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis
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    Leptin inhibits male Testosterone production at the level of the hypothalamus and at the testicle level.
Nathan Goodyear

Sexual function and hormone profile in young adult men with idiopathic gynecomastia: Co... - 0 views

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    somewhat flawed study in that they looked at serum sex hormones to evaluate men with gynecomastia compared to controls.  A better eval would have been of saliva or blood spot.  Free levels will show more subtle changes physiologically than will serum as to the sex hormones.  The study did find decreased sexual function in the men with gynecomastia--indicating hormone issues not picked up by the serum.
Nathan Goodyear

Are serum hormones associated with the risk of prostate cancer? Prospective results fro... - 0 views

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    No correlation seen between serum hormones and prostate cancer risk.  Serum evaluation of hormones provides little, if any, clinically, relevant information.  The only association was found with a DHT metabolite--androstanediol.
Nathan Goodyear

Response to Media Reports Associating Testosterone Treatment with Greater Heart Attack ... - 0 views

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    Life extesnsions rebuttal to recent JAMA study.  There was several significant flaws in that study and thus limited evidence can be gained by that study.  In fact, I find no useful clinical information from that study. In the rebuttal, there are flaws. The reference the low serum T after treatment and correctly discuss aromatase activity.  But they fail the mention that the less than optimal serum T is likely the result of the high aromatase activity in these men.  Age, stress, and weight are primary causes of increases estrogen production in these men.  These would be why likely high estrogen production occurred and less than optimal serum T resulted.   And, increased E2 will cause an increase in CRP which can precipitate CVD events.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone and Abnormal Glucose Metabolism in an Inner-City Cohort - 0 views

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    This study of inner city men found low T associated with methadone use.  Narcotics are a known risk factor for low T.  The free T was calculated from serum.  This equilibrium dialysis is based on too many variables.  Look at the studies on equilibrium dialysis.  This study also found calculated free T was not associated with insulin resistance.  However, insulin resistance is a peripheral tissue dysfunction not a serum dysfunction.  So, a calculated free T (not reality) in the serum shows me nothing of the peripheral activity.  For example, inflammation has been shown to increase aromatase activity in the prostate tissue only.  The thinking in the conclusions of so many of these studies is soooo flawed.
Nathan Goodyear

Testosterone deficiency and cardiovascular mortality Morgentaler A, - Asian J Androl - 0 views

  • overall mortality and CV mortality were inversely associated with serum T concentrations.
  • men with low serum T, defined as < 8.7 nmol l−1 (250 ng dl−1 ), demonstrated significantly greater all-cause mortality than men with higher serum T (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.41-3.57), as well as greater CV mortality
  • lower T levels were significantly associated with the presence of any CV disease
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  • more than 30 years of studies suggesting that low levels of T represent an increased risk for CV and overall mortality,
  • lower serum T concentrations also are associated with CV disease, including incident coronary artery disease [17],[18],[19] and atherosclerosis,
  • the actual rate of adverse events was only half as great in the T group (123 events in 1223 men at risk = 10.1%) as in the untreated group (1587 events in 7486 men = 21.2%)
  • The study by Vigen et al. [7] has already undergone two published corrections,
  • 29 medical societies have called for retraction of the article, asserting "gross data mismanagement and contamination," that rendered the study "no longer credible
  • Mortality in T-treated men was reduced by approximately half in treated men compared with untreated men, at 10.3% versus 20.7%, respectively
  • The mortality rate for men who received TTh was 3.4 deaths per 100 person-years, and 5.7 deaths per 100 person-years in untreated men
  • HR of 0.61 (95%CI: 0.42-0.88; P = 0.008), indicating a significant reduction in mortality with TTh
  • men in the highest prognostic MI risk quartile, treatment with TTh was associated with reduced risk
  • tripling in T prescriptions in the US over the last decade
  • a majority of observational studies have found that low endogenous serum T levels are associated with increased mortality.
  • Men who received TTh were able to exercise significantly longer without ischemia compared with men who received placebo
  • In men with congestive heart failure, those who received T demonstrated greater walking distance and other functional endpoints compared with those who received placebo
  • TTh has been shown uniformly and repeatedly to improve several known CV risk factors, including reduced fat mass, body fat percent, and waist circumference, and increased lean mass
  • improved glycemic control
  • reductions in insulin resistance.
  • the evidence strongly points to improved CV status with normal serum T or treatment with TTh in men with TD
  • analysis of health insurance claims data that reported a 36% increased rate of nonfatal MI in the 90d following receipt of a T prescription compared with the 12 prior months.
  • Comparison with men who received a prescription for a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) revealed no increased rate of MI following the prescription
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    Great review by Morgentaler of Testosterone and CVD.  He highlights the significant flaws in the JAMA and the NEJM articles of Testosterone therapy risks.  Morgentaler highlights the significant evidence that points to low T and increased risk of CVD. On contention I have, is Morgantaler seems to flip aside the massive uptick of Testosterone use in the US as compared to other countries.  The evidence definitely points to Testosterone therapy as being safe in those with low T, but there is definitely a problem of significant Testosterone doping that is taking place as well.
Nathan Goodyear

Prognostic Utility of Serum α-N-Acetylgalactosaminidase and Immunosuppression... - 0 views

  • levels of serum α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase of individual patients have an inverse correlation with precursor activities of their serum Gc protein
  • Surgical removal of tumors resulted in a subtle decrease in serum α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase activity with concomitant increase in the precursor activity of serum Gc protein
  • α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase activity in patient blood-stream can serve as a diagnostic/prognostic index
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    Only abstract available here, but nagalase found to be helpful in cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
Nathan Goodyear

Androgens and prostate disease Cooper LA, Page ST - Asian J Androl - 0 views

  • intraprostatic androgens are not concomitantly increased when serum androgen levels are raised.
  • The "saturation model" proposes that the prostate is sensitive to very low concentrations of circulating androgens, but that once maximal AR binding is achieved, which occurs at relatively low concentrations of circulating T, further increases in serum T have little impact
  • men with metastatic prostate cancer given T who had been previously treated with castration had worsening of disease, whereas those without prior castration did not
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  • There is little data to support the withholding of T therapy on the basis of concern for precipitating prostate cancer.
  • Both intervention data and physiology studies point to minimal effects on the prostate gland when serum T levels are increased to the mid-normal range with T therapy
  • an individualized care plan to assess the possible risks and benefits of T therapy for each patient is critical to optimizing the use of androgens in male health.
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    Nice review of the mixed data on Testosterone and Prostate disease. It is clear that Testosterone does not precipitate prostate cancer.  The intraprostatic hormone milieu likely is different than that present in the serum.  No surprise there.  5alpha reductase decreases prostate volume, PSA, and low-grade prostate cancer, but actually increases aggressive prostate cancer. Supraphysiologic doping in young men associated with no increase in prostate disease. PSA no longer to be followed in men < 55.  Mortality rate not changed.  PSA change of 1.4 ng/ml is appropriate for additional prostate evaluation.  Testosterone therapy on average increased 0.5 ng/ml. Still, no mention of aromatase activity in this article.  Why is it that hormone sensitive disease in men is only with regards to androgens and women estrogen.
Nathan Goodyear

Transdermal testosterone replacement therapy in men - 0 views

  • a recent study has suggested that it may sometimes be inaccurate because of abnormal fluctuation of other circulating androgens
    • Nathan Goodyear
       
      The authors are referencing the increase in the suggestions to use other testing techniques i.e. saliva.
  • Testosterone therapy can inhibit hepcidin transcription and is associated with increased iron incorporation into red blood cells and increased erythropoietin concentrations
  • Transdermal TRT has a more favorable adverse effect profile when compared to buccal testosterone formulations
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  • testosterone concentrations should be checked 2–3 months after initiation of therapy and after adjusting the dose
  • the recommendation for injectable testosterone esters is to check the serum concentration midway between injections
  • it is recommended for serum testosterone to be evaluated 3 to 12 hours after application of the transdermal patch
  • Approximately 0.3% of testosterone is converted into estradiol by aromatase (CYP19A1)
  • a study from 1989 utilizing testosterone transdermally containing 5, 10, or 15 mg of testosterone showed that peak concentrations of testosterone were achieved 3 to 8 hours after scrotal application in hypogonadal men
  • measure serum testosterone any time after the patient has been on treatment with gel for at least 1 week
  • evaluate serum testosterone at the end of the dosing interval for testosterone pellets
  • increased amount of fat leads to increased extragonadal aromatase activity, resulting in increased concentrations of estradiol. High circulating concentrations of estradiol down regulate the HPG axis and decrease the amount of circulating testosterone
  • Up to 80% of plasma estradiol originates from aromatization of testosterone and less than 20% of estradiol in the circulation is secreted by the testes
  • A PSA concentration, digital rectal examination, and hematocrit should be performed at baseline and at 3 months, 6 months, then yearly after TRT is initiated.
  • It is used for many medications and has the advantage of high bioavailability, absence of hepatic first pass metabolism, increased therapeutic efficacy, and steadiness of plasma concentrations of the drug
  • If the hematocrit rises above 54%, treatment should be discontinued
  • elderly men having higher estradiol serum concentrations than postmenopausal women
Nathan Goodyear

COMPARISON OF BLOOD SPOT, SALIVARY AND SERUM PROGESTERONE ASSAYS IN THE NORMAL MENSTRUA... - 0 views

  • COMPARISON OF BLOOD SPOT, SALIVARY AND SERUM PROGESTERONE ASSAYS IN THE NORMAL MENSTRUAL CYCLE
  • We conclude that blood spot and saliva Po levels both correlate well with Po levels in serum, but that blood spot Po levels are more reliable.
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    COMPARISON OF BLOOD SPOT, SALIVARY AND SERUM PROGESTERONE ASSAYS IN THE NORMAL MENSTRUAL CYCLE
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