9208 Sex Hormones and Abdominal Muscle Area and Radiodensity in Men: A Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Abstract

Abstract Disclosure: A. Osmancevic: None. M. Allison: None. I. Miljkovic: None. C. Vella: None. P. Ouyang: None. P. Trimpou: None. B. Daka: None. Context: Information on the associations of testosterone, estradiol and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels with abdominal muscle volume and quality in men are unclear. Objective: To investigate the association between fasting serum sex hormones and CT-derived abdominal muscle area and radiodensity in adult men. Design: Cross sectional observational study using data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Participants: A community-based sample of 907 men aged 45-84 years; 878 men with complete data were included in the analysis. Main Outcome Measure(s): CT scans of the abdomen were interrogated for muscle characteristics. Multivariable linear regressions were used to test the associations. Results: After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, visceral fat, CRP, lifestyle factors, comorbidities and medicine use, higher levels of both total testosterone and estradiol, but not SHBG, were associated with higher abdominal muscle area (B= 1.79, 95% CI 0.1 to 3.4, & B=1.79, 95% CI 0.4 to 3.2, respectively). After the same adjustment, levels of total testosterone showed a significant positive association (B= 0.3, 95% CI 0.0 to 0.6), while a significant inverse relationship was observed for SHBG with abdominal muscle radiodensity (B=-0.34, 95% CI -0.6 to -0.1). Conclusion: Our results indicate significant associations between sex hormones and abdominal muscle characteristics in men from several different race/ethnic groups. These findings reveal novel insights into the previously unrecognized role that SHBG may play in skeletal muscle adipose tissue distribution. Presentation: 6/2/2024