[Are age and educational level the determinants of hormonal parameters considered as indices of andropause?].

The involutionary processes in gonadal and adrenal glands are significant for male aging. The dynamics of hormonal changes in aging men seems to be individually differentiated and vary in distinct populations. Currently there are no data on social differences in hormonal parameters in men. The study was carried out in order to evaluate the age-related changes of hormonal parameters considered as indices of andropause and analyze the social gradients in these variables in healthy Polish men. Material comprised the data of 414 healthy men, inhabitants of Wrocław, aged 32-79, examined in 2000 in DOLMED (Wrocław, Lower Silesia). Serum levels of the following hormones were assessed using radioimmunological assays: free testosterone (FT), total testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), luteinizing hormone (LH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). The following indices were calculated: FAI (Free Androgen Index), TT/E2 and TT/LH. Among Polish men there were negative correlations between age and serum levels of FT, DHEAS, IGF-1, E2, and between age and FAI, TT/LH. The correlation between the DHEAS level and age was the strongest among all relationships here. The male aging was accompanied by the serum reduction, during 5 years: FT level of 4.8%, DHEAS--8.6% and IGF-1--5.0%. The reduction in serum DHEAS and IGF-1 levels reached 77.3% and 44.9% (respectively) between men aged 32-34 and the oldest subjects aged 75-79. The decrease in serum FT level between men aged 32-34 and those aged 70-74 was 38.2%. The relationships between age and E2 level and between age and TT/LH were not strong (respectively, beta = -0.10, p < 0.05 and beta = -0. 17, p < 0.001). The male aging was also accompanied by the increase in serum SHBG (11.7%/5 years) and LH levels (13.5%/5 years). Among male there were no age-related changes in the serum TT level and TT/E2. The results of a two-way ANOVA revealed that education significantly differentiated serum IGF-1 levels (independently on age). The highest IGF-1 levels were observed in men who had graduated from university, the lowest--in those who had finished the trade school at the very most. In contrast, there were no social differences in other analysed hormonal parameters.