Elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in aging men with low testosterone

Figures & data

Table I.  Demographics and baseline characteristics.

Baseline characteristics	Baseline testosterone, <6.9 nmol/l (n = 6)	Baseline testosterone, 6.9 to <10.4 nmol/l (n = 51)	Baseline testosterone, 10.4 to <15 nmol/l (n = 152)	Baseline testosterone, ≥ 15 nmol/l (n = 258)	All patients (n = 467)
Mean (SD) age (years) at baseline	56.5 (5.4)	51.9 (10.7)	53.3 (10.2)	50.8 (11.7)	51.8 (11.1)
Mean (SD) T (nmol/l)	6.2 (0.5)	9.3 (0.8)	12.8 (1.3)	19.6 (3.8)	16.1 (5.0)
Median (SD for median) TG (mmol/l)	2.4 (1.3)	2.1 (1.0)	1.9 (1.0)	1.9 (1.0)	1.9 (1.0)
Mean (SD) HDL-C (mmol/l)	1.0 (0.2)	1.1 (0.2)	1.1 (0.3)	1.2 (0.3)	1.1 (0.3)
Mean (SD) LDL-C (mmol/l)	4.3 (0.9)	5.7 (1.8)	5.4 (1.7)	5.5 (1.6)	5.5 (1.6)
Mean (SD) BMI (kg/m^2)	34.4 (2.7)	28.8 (3.6)	28.2 (3.5)	26.3 (3.1)	27.3 (3.6)
Mean (SD) FPG (mg/dl)	6.4 (0.3)	6.1 (1.9)	5.7 (0.9)	5.5 (0.9)	5.7 (1.1)
Mean (SD) SBP (mmHg)	136.3 (15.2)	129.5 (12.3)	128.4 (13.3)	125.3 (13.5)	126.9 (13.4)
Mean (SD) DBP (mmHg)	83.8 (8.1)	80.8 (7.9)	79.7 (8.0)	79.1 (7.6)	79.5 (7.8)
No. (%) of patients with the metabolic syndrome*	5 (83.3)	27 (52.9)	63 (41.4)	89 (34.5)	184 (39.4)

T, total serum testosterone; TG, triglycerides; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; BMI, body mass index; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure.

*Patients were defined as having the metabolic syndrome if they met three or more of the following National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria13: diagnosis of diabetes or FPG ≥ 6.1 mmol/l or taking anti-diabetic medication; TG ≥ 1.7 mmol/l; HDL-C <1.0 mmol/l; BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² (surrogate of waist circumference > 102 cm); and diagnosis of hypertension or blood pressure ≥ 130/85 mmHg or taking anti-hypertensive medication.

Figure 1.  Median baseline hsCRP levels presented by baseline total serum testosterone.

Figure 2.  Percentage of men with elevated (>2 mg/l) baseline hsCRP by baseline total serum testosterone level.

Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Executive summary of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA 2001;285:2486–2497.

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