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- Lee, D. M., et al.
(author)
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Chronic widespread pain is associated with slower cognitive processing speed in middle-aged and older European men
- 2010
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In: Pain. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 1872-6623 .- 0304-3959. ; 151:1, s. 30-36
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Evidence from clinic-based studies suggests that the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is associated with impairment in cognitive function though the mechanism is unclear. The aim of this analysis was to determine whether there is a similar association between chronic widespread pain (CWP), a cardinal feature of FMS, and impaired cognition in a community setting. Men (n = 3369, 40-79 years) were recruited from population registers in eight centres for participation in the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS). Subjects completed a pain questionnaire and pain manikin, with the presence of CWP defined using the American College of Rheumatology criteria. The cognitive functions measured were: visuospatial-constructional ability and visual memory (Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure [ROCF]); visual recognition (Camden Topographical Recognition Memory test [CTRM]); and psychomotor processing speed (Digit-Symbol Substitution test [DSST]). We restricted our analysis to those subjects reporting pain that satisfied the criteria for CWP and those who were pain free. Of these 1539 men [mean (SD) age 60 (11) years], 266 had CWP. All cognitive test scores declined cross-sectionally with age (P < 0.05). In age-adjusted linear regressions men with CWP had a lower DSST score (beta = -2.4, P < 0.001) compared to pain free subjects. After adjustment for lifestyle and health factors the association between pain status and the DSST score was attenuated but remained significant (beta = -1.02, P = 0.04). There was no association between CWP and the ROCF-copy, ROCF-recall or CTRM scores. CWP is associated with slower psychomotor processing speed among community-dwelling European men. Prospective studies are required to confirm this observation and explore possible mechanisms for the association. (C) 2010 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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- Rutter, M. K., et al.
(author)
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Epidemiological evidence against a role for C-reactive protein causing leptin resistance
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Endocrinology. - 1479-683X. ; 168:1, s. 101-106
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: It has been suggested that elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) might interfere with leptin signalling and contribute to leptin resistance. Our aim was to assess whether plasma levels of CRP influence leptin resistance in humans, and our hypothesis was that CRP levels would modify the cross-sectional relationships between leptin and measures of adiposity. Design and methods: We assessed four measures of adiposity: BMI, waist circumference, fat mass and body fat (%) in 2113 British Regional Heart Study (BRHS) men (mean (S.D.) age 69 (5) years), with replication in 760 (age 69 (6) years) European Male Ageing Study (EMAS) subjects. Results: In BRHS subjects, leptin correlated with CRP (Spearman's r=0.22, P<0.0001). Leptin and CRP correlated with all four measures of adiposity (r value range: 0.22-0.57, all P<0.0001). Age-adjusted mean levels for adiposity measures increased in relation to leptin levels, but CRP level did not consistently influence the beta-coefficients of the regression lines in a CRP-stratified analysis. In BRHS subjects, the BMI vs leptin relationship demonstrated a weak statistical interaction with CRP (P=0.04). We observed no similar interaction in EMAS subjects and no significant interactions with other measures of adiposity in BRHS or EMAS cohorts. Conclusion: We have shown that plasma CRP has little influence on the relationship between measures of adiposity and serum leptin levels in these middle-aged and elderly male European cohorts. This study provides epidemiological evidence against CRP having a significant role in causing leptin resistance. European Journal of Endocrinology 168 101-106
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- Camacho, E. M., et al.
(author)
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Age-associated changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular function in middle-aged and older men are modified by weight change and lifestyle factors: longitudinal results from the European Male Ageing Study
- 2013
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In: European Journal of Endocrinology. - 1479-683X. ; 168:3, s. 445-455
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Health and lifestyle factors are associated with variations in serum testosterone levels in ageing men. However, it remains unclear how age-related changes in testosterone may be attenuated by lifestyle modifications. The objective was to investigate the longitudinal relationships between changes in health and lifestyle factors with changes in hormones of the reproductive endocrine axis in ageing men. Design: A longitudinal survey of 2736 community-dwelling men aged 40-79 years at baseline recruited from eight centres across Europe. Follow-up assessment occurred mean (+/- S.D.) 4.4 +/- 0.3 years later. Results: Paired testosterone results were available for 2395 men. Mean (+/- S.D.) annualised hormone changes were as follows: testosterone -0.1 +/- 0.95 nmol/l; free testosterone (FT) -3.83 +/- 16.8 pmol/l; sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) 0.56 +/- 2.5 nmol/l and LH 0.08 +/- 0.57 U/l. Weight loss was associated with a proportional increase, and weight gain a proportional decrease, in testosterone and SHBG. FT showed a curvilinear relationship to weight change; only those who gained or lost >= 15% of weight showed a significant change (in the same direction as testosterone). Smoking cessation was associated with a greater decline in testosterone than being a non-smoker, which was unrelated to weight change. Changes in number of comorbid conditions or physical activity were not associated with significant alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) axis function. Conclusions: Body weight and lifestyle factors influence HPT axis function in ageing. Weight loss was associated with a rise, and weight gain a fall, in testosterone, FT and SHBG. Weight management appears to be important in maintaining circulating testosterone in ageing men, and obesity-associated changes in HPT axis hormones are reversible following weight reduction. European Journal of Endocrinology 168 445-455
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- Cook, Michael J., et al.
(author)
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Frailty and bone health in European men
- 2017
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In: Age and Ageing. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0002-0729 .- 1468-2834. ; 46:4, s. 635-641
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: frailty is associated with an increased risk of fragility fractures. Less is known, however, about the association between frailty and bone health.Methods: men aged 40-79 years were recruited from population registers in eight European centres for participation in the European Male Aging Study. Subjects completed a comprehensive assessment which included quantitative ultrasound (QUS) scan of the heel (Hologic-SAHARA) and in two centres, dual-energy bone densitometry (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, DXA). Frailty was defined based on an adaptation of Fried's phenotype criteria and a frailty index (FI) was constructed. The association between frailty and the QUS and DXA parameters was determined using linear regression, with adjustments for age, body mass index and centre.Results: in total, 3,231 subjects contributed data to the analysis. Using the Fried categorisation of frailty, pre-frail and frail men had significantly lower speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and quantitative ultrasound index (QUI) compared to robust men (P< 0.05). Similar results were seen using the FI after categorisation into 'high', 'medium' and 'low' levels of frailty. Using the Fried categorisation, frail men had lower femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) compared to robust men (P < 0.05), but not lower lumbar spine BMD. Using the FI categorisation, a 'high' level of frailty (FI > 0.35) was associated with lower lumbar spine BMD (P < 0.05) when compared to those with low (FI < 0.2), but not lower femoral neck BMD. When analysed as a continuous variable, higher FI was linked with lower SOS, BUA and QUI (P < 0.05).Conclusions: optimisation of bone health as well as prevention of falls should be considered as strategies to reduce fractures in frail older people.
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- Pye, S. R., et al.
(author)
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Late-Onset Hypogonadism and Mortality in Aging Men
- 2014
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In: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. - : The Endocrine Society. - 1945-7197 .- 0021-972X. ; 99:4, s. 1357-1366
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context: Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) has recently been defined as a syndrome in middle-aged and elderly men reporting sexual symptoms in the presence of low T. The natural history of LOH, especially its relationship to mortality, is currently unknown. Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the associations between LOH, low T, and sexual symptoms with mortality in men. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective data from the European Male Aging Study (EMAS) on 2599 community-dwelling men aged 40-79 years in eight European countries was used for this study. Main Outcome Measure(s): All-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer-related mortality was measured. Results: One hundred forty-seven men died during a median follow-up of 4.3 years. Fifty-five men (2.1%) were identified as having LOH (31 moderate and 24 severe). After adjusting for age, center, body mass index (BMI), current smoking, and poor general health, compared with men without LOH, those with severe LOH had a 5-fold [hazard ratio (HR) 5.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.7, 11.4] higher risk of all-cause mortality. Compared with eugonadal men, the multivariable-adjusted risk of mortality was 2-fold higher in those with T less than 8 nmol/L (irrespective of symptoms; HR 2.3; 95% CI 1.2, 4.2) and 3-fold higher in those with three sexual symptoms (irrespective of serum T; compared with asymptomatic men; HR 3.2; 95% CI 1.8, 5.8). Similar risks were observed for cardiovascular mortality. Conclusions: Severe LOH is associated with substantially higher risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, to which both the level of T and the presence of sexual symptoms contribute independently. Detecting low T in men presenting with sexual symptoms offers an opportunity to identify a small subgroup of aging men at particularly high risk of dying.
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