Abstract
Introduction Sex hormones play an important role in the development and maintenance of bone and muscle mass. However, studies regarding serum testosterone levels, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia in men are relatively sparse and have led to contradictory conclusions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between serum testosterone levels and body composition, including bone mineral density (BMD), appendicular lean mass index (ALMI), and appendicular fat mass index (AFMI), among men 20–59 years of age through a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Materials and Methods Our analysis was based on the data for 3,875 men, 20–59 years of age. Weighted multiple regression analyses were used to estimate the independent association between serum testosterone levels and body composition. Weighted generalized additive models and smooth curve fittings were used to characterize the nonlinear associations between them. Results The association between the serum testosterone level and lumbar BMD was positive in each multivariable linear regression model. In the model adjusted for age and race, the serum testosterone level was negatively associated with ALMI. However, in the models adjusted for body mass index, this association became positive. In addition, the association between the serum testosterone level and AFMI was negative in each multivariable linear regression model. Conclusion Our study demonstrated a positive association of serum testosterone level with lumbar BMD and ALMI, and a negative association with AFMI, among men 20–59 years of age, suggesting that increasing testosterone levels may be beneficial to skeletal health in young and middle-aged men with low testosterone levels.
Highlights
Sex hormones play an important role in the development and maintenance of bone and muscle mass
Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality, and strength, whereas osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of the microarchitecture of bone [2, 3]
In the model adjusted for age and race (Table 3), the serum testosterone level was negatively associated with appendicular lean mass index (ALMI) (β −0.0022, 95% CI: −0.0024 to −0.0019)
Summary
Sex hormones play an important role in the development and maintenance of bone and muscle mass. Erefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between serum testosterone levels and body composition, including bone mineral density (BMD), appendicular lean mass index (ALMI), and appendicular fat mass index (AFMI), among men 20–59 years of age through a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality, and strength, whereas osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of the microarchitecture of bone [2, 3]. Both conditions are associated with devastating consequences, such as an increased risk of frailty, fragility fracture, multimorbidity, and other adverse outcomes [4]. While menopause-related estrogen deficiency is a well-studied risk factor for osteoporosis in women, data regarding serum
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