Article
Details
Citation
Phillips AC, Gale CR & Batty GD (2012) Sex hormones and cause-specific mortality in the male veterans: the Vietnam Experience Study. QJM, 105 (3), pp. 241-246. https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcr204
Abstract
Background: Testosterone levels have been linked to life expectancy in men, less is known about the sex hormones follicular stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone.
Aim: To examine the association of testosterone, follicular stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone with mortality.
Design: Prospective cohort analysis.
Methods: Participants were 4255 Vietnam-era US army veterans with a mean age of 38.3 years. From military service files, telephone interviews and a medical examination, socio-demographic and health data were collected. Contemporary morning fasted hormone concentrations were determined. All-cause, cardiovascular, cancer, external and 'other' cause mortality was ascertained over the subsequent 15 years. Hazard ratios were calculated, first with adjustment for age and then, additionally, for a range of confounders.
Results: Individuals within the highest tertiles of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were at increased risk of all-cause mortality following adjustment for a range of risk factors. However, with mutual adjustment, neither FSH nor LH significantly predicted mortality. Testosterone levels did not show an association with all-cause mortality, and none of the hormones were significantly associated with CVD, cancer, ‘other’ or external-cause mortality in fully adjusted models.
Conclusions: Greater FSH and LH levels are associated with all-cause mortality, but not independently of one another.
Keywords
cardiovascular diseases; testosterone; cancer; hormones; cardiovascular system; military personnel; gonadal steroid hormones; telephone; veterans; Vietnam; follicle stimulating hormone; luteinizing hormone; mortality; testosterone measurement; vietnam experience study; army
Journal
QJM: Volume 105, Issue 3
Status | Published |
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Funders | |
Publication date | 31/03/2012 |
Publication date online | 22/10/2011 |
Date accepted by journal | 22/10/2011 |
URL | |
Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) |
ISSN | 1460-2725 |
eISSN | 1460-2393 |
People (1)
Professor of Behavioural Medicine, Sport