International journal of epidemiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Genetically predicted testosterone and cardiovascular risk factors in men: a Mendelian randomization analysis in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.
Observationally lower testosterone is associated with an unhealthier cardiovascular (CVD) risk profile, but this association is open to confounding and reverse causality. The authors examined the association of testosterone with well-established cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)cholesterol and fasting glucose) and the Framingham score using a Mendelian randomization analysis with a separate-sample instrumental variable estimator. ⋯ Our findings did not corroborate observed protective effects of testosterone on cardiovascular risk factors or risk of ischaemic heart disease among men, but raises the possibility that higher testosterone may be associated with an unhealthier lipid profile.