Men with low levels of sex hormones (testosterone) die much earlier

Submitted by Thomas Pröller, meat-n-more on 25 April 2010, Published in Seniors

The death of the men on the track - "European Heart Journal" published results Greifswald scientists

Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine under the direction of Prof. Matthias Nauck and Prof. Henri Wallaschofski, of Cardiology (Prof. Stefan Felix) and Community Medicine (Prof. Henry Völzke) of the University of Greifswald and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg ( Prof. Christof Schöfl) were able to prove a direct connection between the sex hormone testosterone and mortality. Men with a low testosterone concentration at the time of the initial examination were more likely to die of cardiovascular disease. The results of the study have been published in the renowned medical journal "European Heart Journal" (http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org).

Once again, the examination data and blood samples from the Greifswald population study "Health in Western Pomerania", SHIP (Study of Health in Pomerania), which has been running for over ten years, with over 4.000 subjects and meanwhile three examination waves, served as the basis. Scientists from all over the world use the wealth of data to gain deeper insights into medical problems and to find answers to burning health questions. For the testosterone study, the results of the approximately 2.000 male participants in SHIP were analyzed. As the most important male sex hormone, testosterone is responsible for many physical and psychological processes in men. The Greifswald scientists focused on hormone and metabolic diseases and the relationship between the male sex hormone testosterone and questions relating to the health of men.

The working group at the Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, consisting of laboratory physicians, hormone experts (endocrinologists) and health care researchers (epidemiologists), currently also use the most modern analytical methods in their research work. The entire metabolic situation of a test person can be assessed using NMR spectroscopy. "Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in laboratory medicine enables a molecular image to be obtained from extracted body fluids," explained Institute Director Prof. Matthias Nauck. "This enables new insights into the human metabolism and occurring disorders to be gained and individualized therapeutic approaches to be developed."

In accompanying analyzes of the data from the SHIP study, the scientists were able to prove that a reduced testosterone concentration is often linked to obesity, lipid metabolism disorders and fatty liver disease. Low testosterone levels lead to an increased use of medical services and increased health costs in the outpatient area. In addition, it was shown that a low testosterone level is responsible for the development of high blood pressure and diabetes. "These hormone-related metabolic disorders are linked to early death in men," emphasized Prof. Henri Wallaschofski. That was the result of the evaluation of the follow-up of the participants of the study who had already died.

"Since demographic change and the increasing aging of our society do not stop at the 'stronger' sex, age-related diseases in men are on the rise," explained the endocrinologist. "It is known that the testosterone concentration decreases continuously with increasing age of the man." In 15 to 20 percent of the examined men over the age of 50, a reduced testosterone concentration was detected in the context of SHIP. "In the future, hormonal prevention will become just as natural for mature men as it is for women," Wallaschofski is convinced. "Adjustment of the hormone level is possible with medication if there is a medical need."

Prof. Matthias Nauck announced that he will continue the investigations as part of the central Greifswald research project on "Individualized Medicine" (GANI_MED: Greifswald Approach to Individualized Medicine), which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with 15,4 million euros. "The working group in collaboration with cardiologists, gynecologists and specialists from the Clinic for Psychiatry will continue to investigate the influence of sex hormones on metabolic diseases in a complex context. The aim is to establish individual diagnostics with risk analysis, lifestyle advice and therapy and a scientific focus for andrology am To develop university hospital. " Andrology (men's studies) is dedicated to the reproductive health functions of men.