Context: Self-rated health and health-related quality of life are inversely associated with increased morbidity and mortality; however, the temporal relationship with reproductive hormones is poorly understood.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to examine relationships between reproductive hormones, self-rated health, and quality of life in older men at baseline as well as changes over a 2-year follow-up.
Design, setting, and participants: One thousand six hundred thirty-seven men aged 70 years and older from the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project were assessed at baseline and 1316 men returned for the 2-year follow-up. Serum T, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, and estrone (E1) were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and SHBG, LH, and FSH by immunoassay. Logistic regression and multivariate linear regression models were performed.
Outcome measures: Self-rated health and health-related quality of life measures (12-Item Short Form Health Survey) were determined.
Results: In the cross-sectional baseline data, univariate analyses revealed significant associations between many of the hormones and quality-of-life scores and self-rated health. In a multivariable analysis, the associations between T, E1, and calculated free T and self-rated health remained statistically significant. Compared with men in the highest T quartile, men in the lowest T quartile had an odds ratio of 1.47 (95% confidence interval 1.04-2.06) for reporting fair, poor, or very poor health vs excellent or good health. The findings for E1 and calculated free T were similar. In the longitudinal data, the only significant relationship was that between E1 and self-rated health. Compared with those in the highest E1 quartile, those in the lowest quartile experienced deterioration in self-rated health: adjusted odds ratio of 1.84 (95% confidence interval 1.10-3.06).
Conclusion: Low serum T and E1 are associated with poorer self-rated health in older men, whereas lower serum levels of E1 are predictive of subsequent deterioration in self-rated health over time. Therefore, serum E1 is a novel potential risk factor for poor self-rated health in older men that warrants further investigation.