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Lower testosterone levels predict incident stroke and transient ischemic attack in older men

Bu B Yeap1, Zoë Hyde, Osvaldo P Almeida

  • 1School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. byeap@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
|April 9, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Lower total testosterone levels in older men significantly predict a higher incidence of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). This finding highlights testosterone as a potential risk factor for cerebrovascular events.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Lower testosterone is linked to cardiovascular issues like metabolic syndrome and arterial disease in men.
  • The predictive role of testosterone levels for major cardiovascular events remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if reduced serum testosterone independently predicts symptomatic cerebrovascular events in elderly men.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective observational study with a median follow-up of 3.5 years.
  • Involved 3443 community-dwelling, stroke-free men aged 70 years and older.
  • Measured baseline serum total testosterone, SHBG, LH, and calculated free testosterone; recorded incident stroke or TIA.

Main Results:

  • Lower quartiles of total and free testosterone were associated with reduced event-free survival.
  • After adjusting for multiple risk factors, low total testosterone (HR=1.99) and free testosterone (HR=1.69) independently predicted increased stroke or TIA incidence.
  • SHBG and LH were not independently associated with stroke or TIA.

Conclusions:

  • Low total testosterone levels predict a higher incidence of stroke or TIA in older men, even after accounting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Men with low-normal testosterone levels exhibit an elevated risk for cerebrovascular events.
  • Further research is needed to explore testosterone-raising interventions for preventing cerebrovascular disease.
Abstract

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