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. 2019 Mar;57(3):229-239.
doi: 10.1038/s41393-018-0207-7. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

Serum testosterone levels may influence body composition and cardiometabolic health in men with spinal cord injury

Sally M Abilmona  1 , Ryan M Sumrell  1 , Ranjodh S Gill  2   3 , Robert A Adler  2   3 , Ashraf S Gorgey  4   5
Affiliations

Serum testosterone levels may influence body composition and cardiometabolic health in men with spinal cord injury

Sally M Abilmona et al. Spinal Cord. 2019 Mar.

Abstract

Study design: Cross-sectional study.

Objective: To establish the association between serum testosterone (T) levels, biomarkers of cardiometabolic health and regional body composition variables after spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: Medical research center.

Methods: Metabolic and body composition measurements were collected from thirty-six men with chronic motor complete SCI. Serum T, carbohydrate, and lipid profiles were measured after an overnight fast. Body composition was measured using anthropometrics, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and magnetic resonance imaging. Participants were evenly classified into tertiles based on their serum T levels into low, mid-normal and normal ranges.

Results: Low, mid-normal, and normal range serum T were 288.8 ± 84.9 ng/dL, 461.0 ± 52.5 ng/dL and 648.0 ± 53.5 ng/dL, respectively. Low range serum T group had greater total (9.6%, P = 0.04) percentage fat mass and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area (72%, P = 0.01) compared to normal range serum T group. Serum T was related to the absolute whole thigh muscle area (r = 0.40, P < 0.05) after controlling for body mass index. Serum T was negatively related to fasting plasma glucose (r = -0.46, P = 0.006) and insulin (r = -0.42, P = 0.01), HbA1c (r = -0.39, P = 0.02) and triglycerides (r = -0.36, P = 0.03).

Conclusion: Men with low serum T have more unfavorable body composition and cardiometabolic health outcomes after SCI. Testosterone replacement therapy may serve as a potential strategy in preventing cardiometabolic disorders after SCI.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure of interest:

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mean total, trunk and leg percent fat as analyzed by DXA based on low, mid-normal and normal serum testosterone levels. *P< 0.05 versus T≤ 400ng/dL.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Relationships between serum testosterone and MRI outcomes including (a) VATCSA, (b) VAT:SAT ratio, (c) absolute whole thigh muscle CSA and (d) thigh %IMF. The r and P values presented in relationship (c) are those after accounting for BMI as a covariate.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Relationships between serum testosterone and (a) serum TG, (b) fasting glucose, (c) fasting insulin and (d) insulin sensitivity (Si).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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