Цусны шинжилгээгээр тестостерон дааврын түвшин бага байх нь хорт хавдраар өвчлөх болон улмаар нас барах эрсдэлтэй холбоотой байж болзошгүйг олон улсын судалгааны баг тогтоов.
The Lancet Healthy Longevity сэтгүүлд нийтлэгдсэн уг судалгаанд 26,000 гаруй эрэгтэйг хамруулсан 11 урт хугацааны судалгааны мэдээлэлд дүн шинжилгээ хийжээ. Судалгаанд оролцогчдын эрүүл мэндийн байдлыг таваас доошгүй жилийн турш ажигласан байна. Үр дүнгээс үзэхэд, тестостероны хэмжээ 8.6 нмоль/л-ээс доош байх үед хорт хавдрын улмаас нас барах эрсдэл нэмэгдэж, 7.3 нмоль/л-ээс доош тохиолдолд хавдраар оношлогдох эрсдэл өсөж байжээ.
Эндокринологич Бу Йеп (Bu Yeap)-ийн тайлбарласнаар, энэхүү судалгаа нь тестостероны дутагдал нь хорт хавдрын шууд шалтгаан болдог гэсэн үг биш юм. Харин тестостероны түвшин нь эрэгтэйчүүдийн ирээдүйн эрүүл мэндийн төлөв байдлыг илэрхийлэх чухал биомаркер буюу үзүүлэлт байж болохыг тогтоожээ. Уг судалгаагаар түрүү булчирхайн хорт хавдрын хувьд тестостероны түвшинтэй хамааралтай нотолгоо олдоогүй байна.
Судлаачид эрэгтэйчүүдийг хорт хавдраас сэргийлэх зорилгоор тестостероны нэмэлт бэлдмэл хэрэглэхээс татгалзахыг анхаарууллаа. Хэрэв шинжилгээгээр тестостероны түвшин бага гарвал тухайн хүн эмчийн үзлэгт орж, эрүүл мэндийн бусад эрсдэлт хүчин зүйлсээ тодорхойлуулах шаардлагатай гэж зөвлөв. Энэ нь эрүүл амьдралын хэв маягийг баримтлах, тогтмол үзлэгт хамрагдахыг сануулсан дохио гэж үзэж байна.
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We may not have a definitive cure for cancer yet, but thanks to research, we have an expanding list of risk factors, including levels of exercise, alcohol intake, weight, and even marriage status.
Now, a large new analysis suggests something else may carry a warning signal.
An international team examined 11 long-running studies involving more than 26,000 men of varying ages, with follow-up periods of at least five years.
The data showed that very low testosterone levels were associated with a significantly higher risk of dying from cancer, although one type of cancer was an exception.
The finding does not mean low testosterone causes cancer, and the researchers emphasize it is not a reason for men to start taking testosterone supplements.
It suggests that low testosterone could be an important marker of future health.
Testosterone levels have been linked to poor health before, but the relationship of the primary male sex hormone to cancer risk hasn’t been clear up to this point.
Given the hormone’s close connections to cell growth, the researchers behind the study wanted to investigate further.
“We wanted to know whether the concentration of these hormones in the blood was related to the risk of men being diagnosed with, or dying from, cancer in the future,” says endocrinologist Bu Yeap, from The University of Western Australia.
For the purposes of the study, testosterone concentrations were measured in nanomoles per liter or nmol/L, a standard measure. Young, healthy men usually have levels between 10 and 30 nmol/L.
“What we saw was that if a man had low testosterone levels – in the lowest one-fifth compared to the highest one-fifth of the range – their subsequent risk of dying from cancer was higher, even after allowing for age and other health-related factors,” says Yeap.
Another finding worth noting: Men with very low testosterone levels were at a higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer, as well as dying from it.
Deaths from cancer began to increase when testosterone levels fell below 8.6 nmol/L. For cancer diagnosis, the risk increased with levels below 7.3 nmol/L.
“We saw that when baseline testosterone was below 8.6 nmol/L, subsequent cancer risk started increasing,” says Yeap.
“This suggests low testosterone is an important biomarker, so it’s possible that looking at testosterone levels could help us identify men who might do poorly if they get cancer down the track.”
There was one notable exception: prostate cancer.
That is somewhat surprising, because the prostate is highly responsive to testosterone signals. Further study will be needed to tease out the reason for it.
“Since reducing testosterone levels is a treatment for prostate cancer, there’s always been a question of whether the amount of testosterone your own body makes relates to your risk of prostate cancer,” says Yeap.
“But based on our findings, there’s no evidence they are related.”
The data did show that lower levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and luteinizing hormone were associated with an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
It’s important to bear in mind that this study doesn’t show cause and effect – and again, the researchers are keen to dissuade men from taking extra testosterone supplements to try and reduce their cancer risk.
“What we would say to men is if they are found for whatever reason to be low in testosterone, it’s important to go to the doctor for a full check-up,” explains Yeap.
“It may not show any sign of testicular disease, but it might show other health issues or risk factors they need to address.”
In other words, levels of key hormones could warn of future health problems, including cancer risk, which may be influenced by other factors in the body.
Related: New Immune System Discovery Could Help Beat a Sneaky Cancer Cell Trick
“It could be a wake-up call and encouragement for men to engage in more healthy lifestyle behaviors, and to get regular, holistic checkups to stay on top of their health,” says Yeap.
The research has been published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity.
