ANDROGEN LEVEL, ATHEROGENIC LIPID INDEX AND PROFILE AMONG AGING MEN IN BENIN CITY

Aging men with low plasma Testosterone concentration could be at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD): a leading cause of one third of deaths worldwide. Dislipidaemia, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity are the major risk factors that cause CVD. Of these risk factors, dyslipidaemia which is described as elevated plasma concentration of lipids is the major risk factor and predictor of CVD. The major plasma lipids are Cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL- C) and Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and they have all been incriminated as aetiological factors in cardiovascular diseases. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between plasma total testosterone and atherogenic lipid profile in predicting cardiovascular diseases of men in our study group. A total of 188 apparently healthy male subjects resident in Benin City, Nigeria, aged between 18 and 75 years, were selected for this study. The subjects were divided into three (3) groups - Group A (control); male participants aged 18 -39 years (n = 94), Group B (test); male participants aged 40 - 59 years (n = 47) and Group C (test); male participants aged 60 - 75 years (n = 47). Blood samples were collected after an overnight fast; TT was assayed using the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique; fasting blood glucose (FBG) and lipids (TG, TC, and HDL-C) were assayed using enzyme – based colorimetric methods. LDL-C, Body mass index (BMI), Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were calculated using appropriate formulae, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured using a sphygmomanometer. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 software. TT levels were observed to be lower with increasing age and this was statistically significant, (P ˂ 0.001). The concentrations of Fasting Blood Glucose, lipids (TC, TG, and LDL-C), AIP and BMI were observed to be significantly higher with increasing age, respectively, (P ˂ 0.001). The values of SBP and DBP were also observed to be higher with age and these were significant statistically, (P ˂ 0.001). TT correlated negatively and significantly (P ˂ 0.05) with Age (r =- 0.626, P = 0.000), TC (r = - 0.250, P = 0.015), LDLC (r = - 0.247, P = 0.017), but it was observed to correlate positively and significantly with DBP, (r = 0.205, P = 0.047). AIP correlated positively and significantly with Age (r = 0.0261, p = 0.011), TC (r = 0.404, p = 0.000), TG (r = 0.816, p = 0.000), LDLC (r = 0.473, p = 0.000) but negatively and significantly with HDLC (r = - 0.492, p = 0.000).This study showed that TT is associated with atherogenic lipid; it may therefore be considered a risk factor and a predictive marker for men who are at risk for cardiovascular disease.