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Age‐related changes of serum sex hormones, insulin‐like growth factor‐1 and sex‐hormone binding globulin levels in men: cross‐sectional data from a healthy male cohort
Abstract
The age‐dependent decline of the gonadal and somatotopic axis has been causally linked to frailty in the elderly by their effects on muscle mass and bone mineral density. However, for healthy men data on serum oestrogens and androgens, as well as IGF‐1, as a common outcome measure covering the whole adult age range are scarce. We therefore studied healthy, nonobese male subjects between 20 and 80 years of age to asses their morning concentrations of total (T), free (FT), bioavailable testosterone (bT), oestradiol (E2), bioavailable oestradiol (bE2), oestrone (E1), sex‐hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1). Five hundred and seventy‐two male healthy volunteers with a BMI < 30 kg/m 2 recruited from regular blood donors and senior sports clubs participated in the study. Serum samples were obtained during morning hours and T, FT, E2, E1, SHBG, albumin and IGF‐1 were measured by radio‐immunoassay systems. In addition, bT and bE2 were calculated. A potential relationship between sex hormones and IGF‐1 was tested by multiple regression analysis including age and BMI. Ageing was negatively related to serum levels of sex steroids and IGF‐1 (both P < 0·0001) with a mean decrease (youngest vs. oldest) of 51% for T, 64% for FT, 78% for bT, 32% for E2, 62% for bE2, 29% for E1 and 51% for IGF‐1 starting in early adulthood whereas SHBG increased after the 5th decade of life (anovaP < 0·001). The decline of sex hormones and IGF‐1 remained relatively unchanged after adjustment for BMI. Multiple regression analysis revealed an age‐and BMI– independent association between oestradiol and IGF‐1. In contrast to the female situation sex hormones in healthy, nonobese men decline continuously with age. This process has already started in the third decade, and is paralleled by a decline of IGF‐1 serum levels leading to a substantial proportion of elderly men with markedly lowered serum levels of bioavailable sex hormones and IGF‐1 compared to the young adult male range. With the recent demonstration of beneficial effects of androgen replacement therapy in healthy males on general well being, muscle mass and bone mineral density the present data may underline the importance of more detailed studies on the biological significance of hormonal changes in men with age.
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“The mean total and bioavailable testosterone levels in our diabetic men were also lower in all age-groups compared with data reported by Leifke et al. (11) in healthy nonobese males and by Muller et al. (33) in independently living men.”
From Clinical and Biochemical Assessment of Hypogonadism in Men With Type 2 Diabetes (2007) · cites this paper as [11]
In the citing paper
“In our laboratory, bioavailable testosterone below the normal range (Ͻ2.5 nmol/l) is consistent with overt hypogonadism in young healthy men, whereas a significant proportion of patients with bioavailable testosterone between 2.5 and 4 nmol/l are also hypogonadal as shown in the study by Leifke et al. (11).”
From Clinical and Biochemical Assessment of Hypogonadism in Men With Type 2 Diabetes (2007) · cites this paper as [11]
In the citing paper
“A confounding factor is that SHBG rises with age, and thus free testosterone decreases more rapidly than total testosterone in older men (11).”
From Clinical and Biochemical Assessment of Hypogonadism in Men With Type 2 Diabetes (2007) · cites this paper as [11]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Leifke, E., Gorenoi, V., Wichers, C., Von Zur Mühlen, A., Von Büren, E., & Brabant, G.
- Affiliations
- Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (DE)
- ORCID
- Brabant, Georg
- Venue
- Clinical Endocrinology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2000-12-19
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 689-695
- ISSN
- 0300-0664 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2265
- OpenAlex
- W2075284108
- Cited by
- 262
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 5.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Clinical Endocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Hormonal and reproductive studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Growth Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factors
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Sperm and Testicular Function
- Keywords
- age-related decline, sex hormones, testosterone, estradiol, estrone, sex hormone-binding globulin, insulin-like growth factor I, healthy men, aging, body mass index, frailty, healthy aging, gonadal axis, somatotropic axis, blood donors, sports club members, bone mineral density, muscle mass
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cross-Sectional Studies, Estradiol, Humans, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I, Male, Middle Aged, Serum Albumin, Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin, Gonadal Steroid Hormones, Testosterone, Body Mass Index, Multivariate Analysis
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