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testosterone levels and men's health
Higher levels of the hormone testosterone can have significant health benefits for some middle-aged men, according to a Penn State study. "Men with higher testosterone seem to be less vulnerable to high blood pressure, heart attacks, frequent colds and obesity," says Dr. Alan Booth, professor of sociology and human development.
"Also, they are more likely to rate their health as excellent or good rather than fair or poor. Studies show self ratings of health correlate highly with doctor's assessments. "The benefits of higher testosterone levels have a down side, however," Booth notes. "Some, but not all, men with elevated levels of testosterone are more likely to engage in behavior that negates the beneficial effects of testosterone." Those men with higher levels of testosterone are more inclined to smoke, drink alcohol excessively and indulge in risky behavior that leads to injury. The biggest detriment to health by far is the tendency for high testosterone men to smoke. The researchers studied testosterone and health in a sample of 4,393 men between the ages of Thirty-two and Forty-four who had served in the armed forces between 1965 and 1971. The men were interviewed and medically examined. Testosterone was measured in plasma from blood drawn at 8 a.m. Concentrations ranged from 53 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl) to 1,500 with an average of 679. |
Dr. Douglas A. Granger, assistant professor of biobehavioral health and director of Pennsylvania State's Behavioral Endocrinology Laboratory in the College of Health and Human Development; and Dr. David R. Johnson, professor of sociology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, have published their work in the research paper, "Testosterone and Men's Health, in a recent issue of the Journal Of Behavioral Medicine.
"Comparison of men with slightly below average levels of testosterone (400/ng/dl) with men with slightly above average levels (800 ng/dl) revealed significant differences in the indicators of health," Booth says.
Men at the higher level were Forty-five percent less likely to have high blood pressure, Seventy-two percent less likely to have experienced a heart attack, Eight percent less likely to have 3 or more colds in a year, and forty-five percent less likely to rate their health as fair or poor.
On the negative side, men at the higher level were Twenty-five percent more likely to report one or more injuries, Thirty-two percent more likely to imbibe 5 or more drinks in a single day and 151 percent more likely to smoke tabacco.
"We don't yet fully understand how testosterone benefits health or leads to behaviors detrimental to health," Booth says. "More studies are needed to discover the missing pieces to this puzzle.
What is clear is that men with higher testosterone levels are at higher risk for negative health outcomes. But there are many men with higher testosterone who don't engage in health risk behavior and who do realize testosterone-related health benefits."
Increasing men's awareness of their testosterone levels may be worthwhile in terms of health promotion and disease prevention efforts, say the researchers. Regular monitoring of testosterone levels would make it easier to optimize the sensitive balance between testosterone's positive and negative effects, especially if it is done as part of overall physical checkups.
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