Relation between androgens and cardiovascular risk factors in a young population

Abstract

Objective: The relationship between androgens and blood pressure, insulin resistance, lipid profile, adiponectin and hs-CRP in a young Middle-Eastern population has not been examined previously. We studied this relationship in a randomly selected population of Lebanese students.

Methods: Three hundred and sixty-eight subjects (201 men and 167 women) aged 18-30 years were included in the study. Anthropometric and biological parameters [waist circumference (WC), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total testosterone (TT), dehydroepiandrostenedione sulphate (DHEAS), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), adiponectin (ADP) and hs-CRP] were measured.

Results: In men, there were inverse associations of both TT and SHBG with body mass index (BMI), WC, HOMA-IR, triglycerides and hs-CRP. After adjustment for major confounders (BMI, WC, age and smoking), associations disappeared except for those between TT and hs-CRP, and for SHBG HOMA-IR, hs-CRP and triglycerides. In women, only SHBG was inversely associated with BMI, WC, HOMA-IR and hs-CRP and positively correlated with adiponectin. Except for the association between SHBG and adiponectin, these correlations disappeared after adjustment for confounders. Although DHEAS appeared to correlate negatively with blood pressure in men, this relationship disappeared after adjustment for confounders, while a relationship between DHEAS and triglycerides in women persisted after such adjustment. In multivariate regression analysis, SHBG was an independent predictor of hs-CRP, triglycerides and HOMA-IR in men and of adiponectin in women.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that SHBG is independently associated with HOMA-IR, adiponectin, hs-CRP and triglycerides. A gender difference in these associations is observed. Further studies are needed to elucidate these findings.