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. 2016 Nov;101(11):3939-3951.
doi: 10.1210/jc.2016-1669. Epub 2016 Aug 23.

Salivary Testosterone Levels and Health Status in Men and Women in the British General Population: Findings from the Third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3)

S Clifton  1 , W Macdowall  1 , A J Copas  1 , C Tanton  1 , B G Keevil  1 , D M Lee  1 , K R Mitchell  1 , N Field  1 , P Sonnenberg  1 , J Bancroft  1 , C H Mercer  1 , A M Wallace  1 , A M Johnson  1 , K Wellings  1 , F C W Wu  1
Affiliations

Salivary Testosterone Levels and Health Status in Men and Women in the British General Population: Findings from the Third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3)

S Clifton et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Nov.

Abstract

Context: Salivary T (Sal-T) measurement by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy resents the opportunity to examine health correlates of Sal-T in a large-scale population survey.

Objective: This study sought to examine associations between Sal-T and health-related factors in men and women age 18-74 years.

Design and setting: Morning saliva samples were obtained from participants in a cross-sectional probability-sample survey of the general British population (Natsal-3). Self-reported health and lifestyle questions were administered as part of a wider sexual health interview.

Participants: Study participants included 1599 men and 2123 women.

Methods: Sal-T was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy. Linear regression was used to examine associations between health factors and mean Sal-T.

Results: In men, mean Sal-T was associated with a range of health factors after age adjustment, and showed a strong independent negative association with body mass index (BMI) in multivariable analysis. Men reporting cardiovascular disease or currently taking medication for depression had lower age-adjusted Sal-T, although there was no association with cardiovascular disease after adjustment for BMI. The decline in Sal-T with increasing age remained after adjustment for health-related factors. In women, Sal-T declined with increasing age; however, there were no age-independent associations with health-related factors or specific heath conditions with the exception of higher Sal-T in smokers.

Conclusions: Sal-T levels were associated, independently of age, with a range of self-reported health markers, particularly BMI, in men but not women. The findings support the view that there is an age-related decline in Sal-T in men and women, which cannot be explained by an increase in ill health. Our results demonstrate the potential of Sal-T as a convenient measure of tissue androgen exposure for population research.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mean (95% CI) Sal-T (pmol/L) by age group and BMI. Note: figures for men and women have different scales. A, Men. B, Women.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mean (95% CI) Sal-T (pmol/L) by age group and self-reported general health status. Note: figures for men and women have different scales. A, Men. B, Women.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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