Does ageing lead to testosterone level decline in men?

Age does not appear to contribute to a significant decline in testosterone levels among men when adjusted for the presence of concomitant comorbidities, suggests a study.

“With the overall increase in life expectancy and the simultaneous rise in the incidence of comorbidities such as diabetes and dyslipidemia, our findings may help optimize screening and treatment for late-onset hypogonadism in patients with multiple comorbidities,” the investigators said.

Participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging were selected for this study, which assessed the relationship between age and testosterone levels, as well as the effect of comorbidities on this association using multivariate panel regression analysis, adjusted for comorbidities. Investigators then collected data on the presence of comorbidities and total testosterone level during each follow-up visit.

Overall, 625 men (mean age 65 years, mean testosterone level 463 ng/dL) participated in this study. Multivariable-adjusted analysis revealed no significant association between age and testosterone decline, while anaemia, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, obesity, peripheral artery disease, and stroke showed an inverse relationship with total testosterone level.

No association was observed between cancer and total testosterone.

“This study indicates that a decline in testosterone levels over time may be due to the presence of various comorbidities, which affect the medical management of hypogonadism in ageing men,” the investigators said.

This study was limited by the lack of follow-up data from 205 patients and the limited racial/ethnic diversity in the cohort.