Relationship of coronary artery disease with testosterone level in young men undergoing coronary angiography

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to investigate the relation of testosterone level with the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) in young adult male undergoing coronary angiography. Materials and methods Medline databases (PubMed, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, British Medical Journal, Journal of American College of Cardiology and European Heart Journal) and also materials available in the internet were searched. The search was performed in the electronic databases from 2014 to 2017. The initial search presented 127 articles of which 61 met the inclusion criteria. The articles studied premature CAD, relation of testosterone level to CAD, and testosterone replacement therapy. If the studies did not fulfill the inclusion criteria, they were excluded. Study quality assessment included whether ethical approval was gained, eligibility criteria specified, appropriate controls, adequate information, and defined assessment measures. Comparisons were made by structured review with the results tabulated. Findings In total, 61 potentially relevant publications were included. The studies indicate that the serum levels of both total and free testosterone were significantly lower in young males with CAD, and both were significantly correlated with the severity of CAD as assessed by Gensini score. Conclusion The low testosterone level is associated with both the incidence and severity of premature CAD in young adult males.