Relationship Between Plasma Sex Hormones and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease
January 1986
in “
Journal of Steroid Biochemistry
”
plasma sex hormones coronary artery disease coronary atherosclerosis index stenosis lipoprotein levels LDL-cholesterol LDL-triglyceride LDL-phospholipid IDL-cholesterol LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio blood glucose levels oral glucose tolerance test plasma testosterone IDL cholesterol VLDL cholesterol plasma estrogens estradiol estrone hyperestrogenemia coronary heart disease selective coronary angiography testosterone estrogen cholesterol glucose
TLDR Lower testosterone levels in men may be linked to a higher risk of severe coronary artery disease.
In the 1986 study examining the relationship between plasma sex hormones and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in men, researchers found that the coronary atherosclerosis index (CAI), which measures the degree of stenosis in the coronary artery system, was significantly and positively correlated with various lipoprotein levels, including LDL-cholesterol, LDL-triglyceride, LDL-phospholipid, IDL-cholesterol, and the LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio, as well as with blood glucose levels after an oral glucose tolerance test. Importantly, there was a significant negative correlation between CAI and plasma testosterone levels, suggesting that lower testosterone may be associated with a higher risk of CAD in men, potentially through its relationship with IDL and VLDL cholesterol levels. However, the study did not find significant correlations between plasma estrogens (estradiol and estrone) and CAI, and thus could not confirm hyperestrogenemia as a predisposing factor for coronary heart disease. The study involved 183 consecutive men who underwent selective coronary angiography.
