Serum testosterone does not affect bone mineral density in postmenopausal women

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the correlation between serum testosterone levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. Materials and methods: The study group was made up of postmenopausal women admitted to our tertiary center. Serum calcium, phosphorus, albumin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), thyrotropin (TSH), 25-OH vitamin D, and total testosterone concentrations were measured. Subjects were categorized into three groups regarding bone mineral density (BMD) values: normal (n = 22), osteopenia (n = 21), and osteoporosis (n = 21). Subjects were also categorized into three groups according to serum testosterone levels: low testosterone (n = 10), normal testosterone (n = 42), and high testosterone (n = 12). Results: No significant difference was found for serum testosterone, TSH, calcium, phosphorus, albumin, PTH, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels among patients with normal BMD, osteopenia, and osteoporosis (p > 0.05). Lumbar spine, total femur, femoral neck, trochanteric, intertrochanteric, and Ward's triangle BMD values were similar for the different testosterone levels (p > 0.05). Conclusion: There was no correlation between serum testosterone levels and patient age, body-mass index, or any measured BMD values. Given the findings in our study, which failed to demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between testosterone and BMD, adjustment of other risk factors for osteoporosis might have a more distinctive effect in this setting. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2015;59(4):292-6

Effects of Antipsychotics on Bone Mineral Density in Patients with Schizophrenia: Gender Differences

“…A study showed that androgen level was positively related to BMD among premenopausal women. 75) Serum bioavailable testosterone was also found to be a significant independent predictor for BMD of premenstrual women in another study. 76) A review article indicated that combined estrogen and testosterone therapy increased BMD in premenopausal women to a greater degree than estrogen therapy alone.…”

“… 116) A recent cross-sectional study in postmenopausal women also indicated that serum testosterone itself did not affect BMD; the effects of testosterone on BMD are dependent of estrogen levels. 75) It is likely that the effect of estrogen on BMD is greater than that of testosterone in postmenopausal women.…”

Biochemical Alterations in Postmenopausal Women Having Osteoporic Risk

“…The lower concentration of albumin in osteoporosis patients was supported by Nilsson et al's study [37]. Arpaci et al also supported this study by observing higher concentration of albumin in osteopenic women compared to osteoporotic women [38]. ALP commonly used as bone mineral marker.…”

Association between Serum Total Testosterone Level and Bone Mineral Density in Middle-Aged Postmenopausal Women

“…Similarly, the association between serum T levels and BMD in women remains controversial. In a cross-sectional study of 64 postmenopausal women, no significant association was identified between serum T levels and BMD [ 10 ]. Nevertheless, a prior study did report a positive association between T concentrations and increased BMD in women [ 11 ].…”

“…Experimental data suggested that T in uences bone directly via interactions with androgen receptors and indirectly via binding to estrogen receptor (ER) α and ERβ after aromatization in adipose or di erent tissues [9]. However, studies investigating the association between serum total T levels and bone health among women is limited and have yielded contradictory conclusions [10][11][12]. Moreover, the rate of bone loss is notably high in the rst few years of menopause for women [13].…”