Association of vitamin D status with serum androgen levels in men

Wehr, Elisabeth; Pilz, Stefan; Boehm, Bernhard O.; März, Winfried; Obermayer-Pietsch, B.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03777.x

Cited by 205 publications

(200 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Recent studies have affirmed what seems to be a distinct relationship between zinc and selenium in regard to testosterone, in which the direct mechanism is still unknown [87,88]. In addition, the effects of vitamin D on testosterone level have been investigated in both animal [89] and human models [90,91]. Findings from these studies confirm that vitamin D seems to have a direct positive relationship with total testosterone levels and further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of action related to this finding.…”

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confidence: 68%

Increasing Circulating Testosterone: Impact of Herbal Dietary Supplements

Gunnels¹

2014

J Plant Biochem Physiol

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Low circulating testosterone levels can present numerous problems related to the overall health and well-being of individuals, men in particular. This finding is well-documented in the literature and low testosterone appears more prevalent in older men, in particular those who are physically inactive and who present with elevated levels of body fat. Multiple botanical (herbal) products have been claimed to elevate circulating testosterone in men; however, data pertaining to the use of such herbal preparations obtained from human clinical trials are limited. This review examines the research to date pertaining to the use of herbal ingredients with regards to their ability to elevate blood testosterone levels. A collective summary of the findings indicate that certain herbal supplements may actually yield an increase in testosterone (e.g., Longjack root), while most others have little to no evidence in support of their use in human subjects. Additional, well-controlled clinical trials are needed to generate data relative to the use of herbal dietary supplements to increase circulating testosterone. Testosterone is generally measured as either "free" (unbound) or "total" (unbound and chemically bound). Men who have a morning serum testosterone level < 300 ng/dL are considered to be "low" and may be a candidate for testosterone replacement therapy-which has become more common in recent years due to the increased diagnosis of andropause [55]. Insufficient levels of testosterone due to either impaired production or uptake can present serious health consequences due to the wide array of applications of testosterone within the human body. Areas including skeletal muscle health, muscular strength, and overall well-being/vitality seem to be significantly affected by testosterone status. Increasing Circulating Testosterone: Impact of Herbal Dietary SupplementsTrintThe role of testosterone in muscle growth has been investigated extensively in both humans and animals [56][57][58][59][60][61][62]. One study in men concluded that the testosterone-induced increase in muscle volume is due to muscle fiber hypertrophy [63]. A follow-up study conducted a year later noted muscle hypertrophy in men over a period of 20 weeks of treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and a 125-, 300-, or 600-mg weekly dose of testosterone enanthate. The main findings from this study indicated that testosterone administration was associated with a significant increase in myonuclear number in men receiving the 300-and 600-mg doses.Muscular strength is another important factor that has been shown to be affected by testosterone levels in the body [56,61,62,[64][65][66]. A recent investigation utilized 267 men with stages 2-4 of Chronic Kidney Disease to assess the impact of testosterone level on a variety of variables [64]. This study found that testosterone was significantly and independently associated with handgrip strength, muscle mass, and nutritional status as the disease progressed. Another study explored short-term testoste...

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confidence: 68%

Increasing Circulating Testosterone: Impact of Herbal Dietary Supplements

Gunnels¹

2014

J Plant Biochem Physiol

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“…Low testosterone levels could be a potential mechanism underlying the association of vitamin D deficiency with fatigue and poor muscle strength. A recent study of men referred for coronary angiography noted that vitamin D levels had a positive association with testosterone levels [22]. Notably, in a placebo-controlled trial among overweight, otherwise healthy men, vitamin D replacement over a period of 1 year significantly increased testosterone levels [23].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Report: Vitamin D Deficiency in Advanced Cancer Patients with Symptoms of Fatigue or Anorexia

et al. 2011

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Background. Vitamin D deficiency in noncancer patients is associated with symptoms of fatigue, muscle weakness, and depression. These symptoms are common among advanced cancer patients. We investigated the prevalence of low serum vitamin D levels in cancer patients with fatigue or poor appetite and their association with symptom burden and other correctable endocrine abnormalities.Methods. This was a retrospective review of 100 consecutive cancer patients with appetite or fatigue scores of >4 of 10 referred to a supportive care clinic. We investigated serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D, cortisol, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and bioavailable testosterone. Symptoms were measured by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Serum 25(OH) vitamin D <20 ng/mL was considered deficient; >20 ng/mL and <30 ng/mL were considered insufficient.Results. Patients were predominantly male (68%) and

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“…[20][21][22] It is also important to note that vitamin D deficiency increases with ageing and that this contributes independently to secondary hyperparathyroidism. 23 In addition, serum androgen levels in men are associated with serum 25(OH)D levels and both hormones have a concordant annual periodicity being lowest in late winter, 24 suggesting important, and as yet unidentified, links between the vitamin D and sex-steroid axes.…”

Section: Effects Of Season On Bone Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vitamin D and bone health: Epidemiologic studies

Ebeling¹

2014

BoneKEy Reports

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Allelic variation in the vitamin D receptor was the first non-structural gene to be associated with osteoporosis, and together with the effects of the vitamin D system on bone homeostasis, suggested that this vitamin might have a strong role in bone health. However, controversy exists regarding what level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is optimal. Current data from biochemical, observational and randomized controlled trials (RCTs), indicate serum 25(OH)D levels of at least 50 nmol l À 1 are required for normalization of parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, to minimize the risk of osteomalacia and for optimal bone cell function. The skeletal consequences of 25(OH)D insufficiency include secondary hyperparathyroidism, increased bone turnover and bone loss and an increased risk of minimal trauma fractures. In large scale epidemiological studies, serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with bone mineral density in both men and women. However, there is mixed evidence on the effectiveness of optimizing serum 25(OH)D levels for the prevention of bone loss and minimal trauma fractures in postmenopausal women and older men. There may be some benefit on primary fracture prevention for those who have inadequate serum levels of 25(OH)D, particularly in institutionalised elderly patients, but only when combined with calcium supplements. For optimal bone health, evidence from RCTs suggests vitamin D may be considered a threshold nutrient with few further bone benefits observed at levels of 25(OH)D above which PTH is normalized. An adequate calcium intake is also imperative to gain optimum benefit from an improved vitamin D status in those with insufficient 25(OH)D levels, with an increased calcium intake being associated with suppression of PTH levels. A large, multicentre, genome-wide association study of 15 cohorts, comprising about 30 000 white people from European descent, found that polymorphisms at three different loci involved in vitamin D metabolism affect serum 25(OH)D levels and the risk of vitamin D deficiency. 4 After accounting for age, sex, body mass index and season, polymorphisms in at least three, and perhaps four loci, influenced serum 25(OH)D levels: (1) 4p12 polymorphisms near or within the GC gene, which encodes vitamin D binding protein, the main transporter of vitamin D metabolites in the blood; (2) 11q12 polymorphisms near DHCR7/NADSYN1, encoding the enzyme 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase, which converts 7-dehydrocholesterol into cholesterol in the skin thereby removing the substrate for production of vitamin D 3 ; (3) 11p15 polymorphisms near CYP2R1, which encodes an enzyme responsible for 25-hydroxylation of vitamin D in the liver; (4) CYP24A1 encoding 24-hydroxylase, which initiates degradation of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH) 2 D. Participants with a genotype score (combining the three main variants) in the top quartile had twice the risk of having vitamin D insufficiency (o50 or 75 nmol l À 1 ) than those in the lowest quartile. It was also associated with a 1.5-fold risk of severe vitamin D deficiency (o2...

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Association of vitamin D status with serum androgen levels in men

Abstract: Androgen levels and 25(OH)D levels are associated in men and reveal a concordant seasonal variation. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on androgen levels.

Cited by 205 publications

References 34 publications

Increasing Circulating Testosterone: Impact of Herbal Dietary Supplements

Increasing Circulating Testosterone: Impact of Herbal Dietary Supplements

Preliminary Report: Vitamin D Deficiency in Advanced Cancer Patients with Symptoms of Fatigue or Anorexia

Vitamin D and bone health: Epidemiologic studies

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