Higher testosterone is associated with higher HDL-cholesterol and lower triglyceride concentrations in older women: an observational study

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flowchart for inclusion of women in the analysis.

Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the study participants.

Characteristic	Value
Overall, n	3231
Age (years), median (IQR)	74.0 (71.7–77.9)
Age group (years), n (%)
70–74	1621 (50.2)
75–79	991 (30.7)
80–84	462 (14.3)
≥85	157 (4.8)
Weight (kg), median (IQR)^a	69 (60.8–78.4)
Height (cm), median (IQR)b	1.59 (1.55–1.64)
Body mass index (kg/m^2), n (%)c
<18.5	37 (1.2)
18.5–24.9	1014 (31.5)
25.0–29.9	1231 (38.2)
≥30.0	937 (29.1)
Ethnicity, n (%)
European ancestry	3207 (99.3)
Othersd	24 (0.7)
Hypertension, n (%)
Yes	2291 (70.9)
Smoking status, n (%)
Current	90 (2.8)
Former	1020 (31.6)
Never	2121 (65.6)
Alcohol consumption, n (%)
Current	2431 (75.2)
Former	119 (3.7)
Never	681 (21.1)
Diabetes, n (%)
Yes	144 (4.5)
Impaired renal function, n (%)e
Yes	533 (17.0)
Sex hormones (nmol/l), median (10th − 90th centile)
Testosterone	0.4 (0.2–0.9)
Dehydroepiandrosterone	2.7 (1.1–6.3)
Lipid profile (mmol/l), median (IQR)
Total cholesterolf	5.7 (5.2–6.3)
HDL-Cg	1.7 (1.4–2.0)
Non-HDL-Cg	4.0 (3.4–4.5)
Triglyceridesh	1.1 (0.9–1.5)

^aData available for 3223 participants.

^bData available for 3227 participants.

^cData available for 3219 participants.

^dOthers includes Asian and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander participants.

^eData available for 3142 participants.

^fData available for 3192 participants.

^gData available for 3147 participants.

^hData available for 3190 participants.

HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; IQR, interquartile range.

Table 2. Association between testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and blood lipid concentrations.

Androgen	Total cholesterol		High-density lipoprotein		Non-high-density lipoprotein		Triglycerides
	Unadjusted β-coefficient, (95% CI), p-value	Adjusteda β-coefficient, (95% CI), p-value	Unadjusted β-coefficient, (95% CI), p-value	Adjusteda β-coefficient, (95% CI), p-value	Unadjusted β-coefficient, (95% CI), p-value	Adjusteda β-coefficient, (95% CI), p-value	Unadjusted β-coefficient, (95% CI), p-value	Adjusteda β-coefficient, (95% CI), p-value
Testosterone, N (%) and median (10th–90th centile)
Quartile 1 (reference):	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
890 (27.6)
0.17 (0.10–0.24)
Quartile 2:	0.02	0.01	0.04	0.03	−0.03	−0.03	−0.05	−0.04
849 (26.3)	(−0.06 to 0.10)	(−0.07 to 0.09)	(−0.01 to 0.08)	(−0.01 to 0.07)	(−0.11 to 0.06)	(−0.11 to 0.06)	(−0.09 to −0.01)	(−0.08 to −0.01)
0.31 (0.28–0.38)	0.657	0.871	0.065	0.122	0.545	0.522	0.009	0.024
Quartile 3:	0.06	0.06	0.06	0.07	−0.01	−0.01	−0.06	−0.06
699 (21.6)	(−0.02 to 0.15)	(−0.03 to 0.14)	(0.02 to 0.11)	(0.03 to 0.11)	(−0.08 to 0.09)	(−0.09 to 0.08)	(−0.10 to −0.02)	(−0.10 to −0.02)
0.49 (0.42–0.55)	0.372	0.187	0.005	0.002	0.953	0.912	0.006	0.003
Quartile 4:	0.09	0.09	0.08	0.10	0.01	−0.01	−0.07	−0.09
793 (24.5)	(0.01 to 0.17)	(0.01 to 0.17)	(0.04 to 0.12)	(0.06 to 0.14)	(−0.08 to 0.09)	(−0.09 to 0.08)	(−0.11 to −0.03)	(−0.12 to −0.05)
0.79 (0.59–1.91)	0.038	0.038	<0.001	<0.001	0.868)	0.898	<0.001	<0.001
R^2	0.01	0.02	0.01	0.11	0.01	0.02	0.01	0.12
Dehydroepiandrosterone, N (%) and median (10th–90th centile)
Quartile 1 (reference):	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
827 (25.6)
1.21 (0.55–1.66)
Quartile2:	0.02	0.02	0.01	−0.02	0.03	0.04	−0.03	−0.01
792 (24.5)	(−0.07 to 0.10)	(−0.07 to 0.10)	(−0.05 to 0.04)	(−0.06 to 0.02)	(−0.06 to 0.11)	(−0.05 to 0.12)	(−0.07 to 0.01)	(−0.05 to 0.03)
2.25 (1.84–2.63)	0.673	0.673	0.715	0.320	0.561	0.380	0.124	0.643
Quartile 3:	0.05	0.05	0.01	0.01	0.04	0.05	−0.02	−0.01
812 (25.1)	(−0.03 to 0.13)	(−0.03 to 0.13)	(−0.03 to 0.05)	(−0.04 to 0.05)	(−0.04 to 0.12)	(−0.04 to 0.13)	(−0.06 to 0.02	(−0.05 to 0.03)
3.36 (2.84–3.99)	0.254	0.238	0.653	0.744	0.202	0.294	0.229	0.653
Quartile 4:	0.08	0.08	−0.01	−0.01	0.09	0.10	0.01	0.02
800 (24.8)	(0.01 to 0.16)	(−0.01 to 0.17)	(−0.05 to 0.03)	(−0.05 to 0.03)	(0.01 to 0.18)	(0.01 to 0.18)	(−0.03 to 0.05)	(−0.02 to 0.06)
5.88 (4.49–8.77)	0.070	0.052	0.618	0.624	0.037	0.024	0.543	0.236
R^2	0.01	0.02	0.01	0.11	0.01	0.02	0.01	0.12

^aAdjusted for age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol use, impaired renal function, diabetes.

CI, confidence interval.

Data availability statement

The ASPREE study protocol is available online (www.aspree.org). De-identified participant data for this analysis will be made available on application. Request for data access is via the ASPREE Principal Investigators with details for applications provided online (https://aspree.org/aus/for-researchers/ or https://aspree.org/usa/for-researchers/), and SHOW sub-study data on sex hormones can be requested through this system with approval by the sub-study Chief Investigator.

Data will be made available to investigators whose proposed use of the data, registered as a project through the ASPREE Access Management Site (https://ams.aspree.org/public/), has been approved by a review committee. Access will be through a secure web-based data portal (the ASPREE Safe Haven system), based at Monash University, Australia.