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Testosterone and acute stress are associated with fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor in African men: the SABPA

Nicolaas T Malan1, Roland von Känel, Alta E Schutte

  • 1Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART), Faculty of Health Sciences, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.

International Journal of Cardiology
|August 20, 2013
PubMed

Insights

African men face higher cardiovascular risk due to low testosterone and elevated clotting factors. Acute stress impacts testosterone and vascular responses, particularly von Willebrand factor, in this group.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Low testosterone, stress, and hypercoagulation are linked to hypertension and related diseases.
  • The interplay of these factors with coronary artery disease risk in Africans remains unclear.
  • This study investigated testosterone, stress responses, fibrinogen, and von Willebrand factor in African and Caucasian men.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate associations between testosterone levels, acute stress responses, and coagulation markers (fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor) in African and Caucasian men.
  • To explore the relationship between these factors and cardiovascular risk in a South African cohort.
  • To elucidate the specific interactions in African males concerning cardiovascular and coagulation stress responses.

Main Methods:

  • Beat-to-beat and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were used to assess cardiovascular variables.
  • Fasting serum and salivary testosterone levels, along with citrate coagulation markers, were measured from blood samples.
  • The Stroop test was employed to evoke acute mental stress responses.

Main Results:

  • African men exhibited higher cardiovascular risk, characterized by elevated blood pressure, inflammation, hyperglycemia (HbA1c), lower testosterone, and increased von Willebrand factor (VWF) and fibrinogen.
  • African males showed blunted testosterone responses to acute mental stress.
  • In Africans, higher fibrinogen and VWF levels correlated with a low testosterone environment; in Caucasians, only fibrinogen showed this association.

Conclusions:

  • An interdependence was observed between acute mental stress, salivary testosterone, D-dimer, and vascular responses concerning circulating VWF in African males.
  • No such interdependence was found with fibrinogen levels in African males.
  • These findings highlight distinct stress-related cardiovascular and coagulation profiles in African men.
Abstract

Keywords:
Acute stressD-dimerFibrinogenHaemostasisTestosteronevon Willebrand factor

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