LATE-LIFE CHANGES IN HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-TESTOSTERONE AXIS, HEALTH, AND SURVIVAL IN MEN WITH LONGEVITY

Q: What was the study aiming to clarify about testosterone in late life?

It aimed to characterize the late-life trajectory and etiology of testosterone decline and determine how these changes relate to health and survival.

Q: Which hormone markers were measured, and how were they assessed?

Total testosterone was measured using mass spectrometry, while luteinizing hormone and sex hormone-binding globulin were assessed using immunoassay in serum from two visits.

Q: Did testosterone markers predict survival in the cohort?

At the final visit, total and free testosterone and LH were not associated with BMI, diabetes, or glucose levels and did not predict survival.

Sep 29, 2026

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While lower testosterone levels in middle-aged men are linked to worse metabolic health and higher mortality, similar findings were not shown previously in nonagenarians and centenarians. This study characterizes late-life testosterone decline and its causes, and evaluates relationships with health and survival. In 134 men (85+ years) in the Cardiovascular Health Study, total testosterone, LH, and SHBG were measured in 2005-6 and 9-13 years earlier.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Study background

Testosterone and prior findings

Study design and measurements

Participants and visits

Hormone assays and calculations

Results across two visits

Changes in testosterone-related markers

Endocrine transition categories

Health and survival associations

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 1075 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.3617 LATE-LIFE CHANGES IN HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-TESTOSTERONE AXIS, HEALTH, AND SURVIVAL IN MEN WITH LONGEVITY Noah Gold1, Mary Biggs2, Michelle Odden3, Diana He4, Anne Newman5, Alvin Matsumoto6, Sofiya Milman1, and Sandra Aleksic1, 1. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States, 2. University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States, 3. Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States, 4. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 5. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 6. University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States While lower testosterone levels in middle-aged men have been associated with poorer metabolic health and mortality, similar associations were not demonstrated in our previous work in nonagenarians and centenarians. As more men reach longevity, 1076 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 it is important to characterize late-life trajectory and etiology of testosterone decline, and their relationship with health and survival. Among 134 men in the Cardiovascular Health Study who had reached 85+ years of age (mean 88±3 years) by the 2005-6 visit, we measured total testosterone (TT; mass spectrometry), luteinizing hormone (LH) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (immunoassay) in serum from 2005-6 and another visit 9-13 years earlier. Free testosterone (FT) was calculated. Mean age at death was 93±4 years. Between two visits, TT did not change (463±187 vs. 437±219 ng/dL, p = 0.17) . However, FT decreased, while LH and SHBG increased (75±26 vs. 62±28 pg/mL, 6.6±6.3 vs. 11.2±10.2 mIU/mL, 48±20 vs. 57±23nmol/L, respectively; p<0.001), remaining significant after adjusting for baseline age, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, education, and lifestyle. Men transitioned from biochemical eugonadism (normal FT, LH; 81 vs. 53%) to: compensated (normal FT, high LH; 8 vs. 18%); and overt testicular dysfunction (low FT, high LH; 4 vs. 20%); and rarely hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction (low FT, non-elevated LH; 6 vs. 8%) . At the final visit, TT, FT, and LH were not associated with BMI, diabetes, or glucose levels and did not predict survival. Men with longevity commonly developed biochemical testicular and rarely hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction with late-life FT decline, which was not associated with metabolic profile or survival.

FAQs

What was the study aiming to clarify about testosterone in late life?

It aimed to characterize the late-life trajectory and etiology of testosterone decline and determine how these changes relate to health and survival.

Which hormone markers were measured, and how were they assessed?

Total testosterone was measured using mass spectrometry, while luteinizing hormone and sex hormone-binding globulin were assessed using immunoassay in serum from two visits.

Did testosterone markers predict survival in the cohort?

At the final visit, total and free testosterone and LH were not associated with BMI, diabetes, or glucose levels and did not predict survival.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by acoobca