Hormones and Well Being of the Aging Men

Overview

Backround.
Aging men suffer from a decrease of androgen-anabolic steroids known as „Partial Androgen Declinein the Aging Male“ (PADAM) that is sometimes compensated by the use of androgen replacement therapy.Methods and Results. To decide whether androgen therapy should be considered, hormonal serum levels arecommonly tested. In addition, the St. Louis questionnaire is used as and indication. Accordingly, serum levels oftestosterone, androstendione, dihydrotestosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, its sulphate, epimers of 7-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone,epitestosterone, lutropin, follitropin, prolactin and sex hormone binding globulin weremeasured in 216 men over 50 years of age. Further, the Sr. Louis questionnaire was applied and the extent of therelations among the data was evaluated. RIA and IRMA kits from Immunotech and Orion-Diagnostica were usedfor measurement of the hormones except epitestosterone and 7-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone epimers, whichwere determined using specific radioimmunoassays.Conclusions. The decline in the index of free testosterone, given by the increase of SHBG levels, as well as thedecrease in the levels of DHEA and its derivates were the most prominent. No correlation was found between thelevels of hormones and the individual items of the questionnaire or with the total score calculated from thequestionnaire data. In conclusion, the University of Saint Louis questionnaire did not give a reliable indication ofan androgen deficit. However, the found values and their changes can still be helpful during the decision processconcerning indication and initiation of hormone replacement.

Key words:
aging, PADAM, andropause, androgens, dehydroepiandrosterone, St. Louis questionnaire.