Remnant cholesterol linked to low testosterone in men

A close association exists between remnant cholesterol (RC) and the risk of low testosterone levels in adult men, suggests a nationwide study.

The authors obtained data for this study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2014 and 2015–2016 cycles, focusing on males aged >20 years. They measured RC as the difference between total cholesterol (TC) and the sum of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

The following analyses between RC and low testosterone were carried out: logistic regression, subgroup assessment, smooth curve fitting, and mediation. Low testosterone was defined as a serum testosterone level <300 ng/dL in male adults.

A total of 2,248 men were identified, of whom 442 had low testosterone levels. Those who showed deficiency in testosterone had notably higher RC levels (p<0.001). A direct association was observed between RC and low testosterone (odds ratio, 1.02, 95 percent confidence interval, 1.01–1.03; p<0.001), and a linear trend was noted in smooth curve fitting.

Subgroup analysis did not find any special populations. In addition, BMI and HOMA-IR appeared to partially mediate the association between RC and low testosterone.

“Evaluating low testosterone in individuals with high RC levels can be beneficial,” the authors said. “Similarly, monitoring lipid profiles, particularly RC levels, in patients with low testosterone might be important for preventing cardiovascular diseases.”

RC, the cholesterol of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, has a high degree of atherogenic effect, according to the authors.