The Study
Age-specific population centiles for androgen status in men.
This study looked at blood hormone levels in thousands of Australian men and found that as men get older or heavier, their hormone levels tend to go down. But it doesn't prove that getting older or heavier makes the hormones drop—it just shows they often happen together.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at hormone levels in thousands of Australian men to see how they change as men get older and how body size affects them.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — lower hormone levels in older or heavier men may affect energy, muscle, and metabolism, but this study doesn't prove cause-and-effect.
- 2Testosterone, DHT, and estradiol slowly drop after age 35 and drop much faster after age 80; heavier and shorter men have lower levels of all three hormones.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European journal of endocrinology
Year
2015
Authors
David Handelsman, B. Yeap, L. Flicker, S. Martin, G. Wittert, L. P. Ly
Related Content
Claims (5)
In men, levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol decline with age, and the rate of decline accelerates significantly after age 80.
In Australian men aged 35 to 100, testosterone, DHT, and estradiol levels in the blood decrease slowly after age 35 and drop more sharply after age 80.
In Australian men aged 35 to 100, higher body weight, higher BMI, larger body surface area, and shorter height are linked to lower levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol in the blood.
In Australian men, the blood levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol decrease together with age, indicating that these hormones are regulated by common biological factors.
Australian men with obesity or short stature have lower levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol in their blood, and this is linked more to their body composition than to their age.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.