Sexual function through decades: association with androgens and cardiometabolic features

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Endocrinology
• Women's Health
• Aging Research

Background:

• Sexual function is a crucial aspect of women's quality of life.
• Age-related hormonal changes, particularly declining androgens, may impact sexual health.
• Cardiometabolic factors are increasingly recognized as potential influences on overall health, including sexual well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the trajectory of female sexual function across different decades of age.
• To examine the relationship between sexual dysfunction, androgen levels, and cardiometabolic features in premenopausal and postmenopausal Turkish women.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 206 postmenopausal (50-69 years) and 210 premenopausal (30-49 years) women.
• Assessment of sexual function using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) across four age groups (30s, 40s, 50s, 60s).
• Comparison of serum androgen levels (total testosterone, androstenedione, DHEAS) and cardiometabolic parameters between age groups.

Main Results:

• Total FSFI scores significantly decreased with age, from 27.18 in the 30s to 11.35 in the 60s.
• Desire, arousal, and satisfaction domains showed a decline in the 40s compared to the 30s.
• Serum levels of total testosterone, androstenedione, and DHEAS decreased across decades; DHEAS was associated with sexual dysfunction only in postmenopausal women.

Conclusions:

• Female sexual function declines progressively from the 30s to the late 60s.
• No correlation was found between sexual dysfunction and cardiometabolic features in either premenopausal or postmenopausal women.
• While androgens generally decrease with age, only DHEAS showed a specific association with sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women.