A new study reveals that a testosterone deficiency in men is associated with an increased risk of mortality, particularly from cardiovascular causes.
- A study carried out on 24,000 volunteers reveals that a low concentration of testosterone in men is associated with an increased risk of mortality, particularly from cardiovascular causes.
- Those whose testosterone level was below 7.4 nmol/L (nanomole per liter of blood) thus had a higher risk of all-cause mortality.
- It is estimated that in France, 340,000 men, mainly aged over 40, present a symptomatic testosterone deficiency.
Testosterone is the sex hormone secreted by the testes, which stimulates the development of the male genital organs and determines the appearance of secondary male sexual characteristics. If it is essential for the maturation of sperm and male reproductive function, it also contributes to good bone health, muscle development, growth of the body… In short, to the proper functioning of the body.
However, according to a new study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicinetestosterone could well play a role in preventing mortality by warding off diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases.
Low testosterone linked to increased risk of death
To reach this conclusion, researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA), in collaboration with teams from Europe and North America, scrutinized eleven cohort studies that included a total of more than 24,000 participants, to clarify the associations between male sex hormones and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease in aging men. Other variables were also taken into account to adjust the results, such as age, BMI, lifestyle, medical history, etc.
The researchers measured their total testosterone concentrations using mass spectrometry (a technique for detecting and identifying molecular structures by measuring their mass), over a follow-up period of at least five years. In detail, their levels of overall testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), luteinizing hormone (which plays a key role in fertility), dihydrotestosterone and even estradiol, a derivative, were measured in detail. natural cholesterol metabolism (via testosterone).
As a result, it appeared that “only men with low total testosterone concentrations had a higher risk of all-cause mortality”can we read in a communicated. In figures, those whose testosterone level was below 7.4 nmol/L (nanomole per liter of blood) had a higher risk of all-cause mortality, regardless of the concentration of luteinizing hormone. As for men whose testosterone concentration was below 5.3 nmol/L, they had an increased risk of cardiovascular death.
340,000 men with symptomatic testosterone deficiency in France
According to one recent study, it is estimated that in France, 340,000 men, mainly aged over 40, present a symptomatic testosterone deficiency. Only 70,000 are under replacement treatment, or 20% of the men concerned. Although systematic screening for deficiency in the general population is not recommended, certain individuals are particularly at risk and should consult. This is particularly the case for patients suffering from metabolic diseases (obesity, type 2 diabetes, etc.), cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, etc.) or other chronic pathologies (cancer, depression, etc.).
