Original Article

Endogenous sex hormones, cognitive decline, and future dementia in old men

  1. Mirjam I. Geerlings PhD1,2,*,
  2. Dorothea Strozyk MD2,
  3. Kamal Masaki MD3,
  4. Alan T. Remaley MD, PhD4,
  5. Helen Petrovitch MD3,
  6. G. Webster Ross MD3,
  7. Lon R. White MD3,
  8. Lenore J. Launer PhD1

Article first published online: 24 JUL 2006

DOI: 10.1002/ana.20918

Issue

Annals of Neurology

Annals of Neurology

Volume 60, Issue 3, pages 346–355, September 2006

Additional Information

How to Cite

Geerlings, M. I., Strozyk, D., Masaki, K., Remaley, A. T., Petrovitch, H., Ross, G. W., White, L. R. and Launer, L. J. (2006), Endogenous sex hormones, cognitive decline, and future dementia in old men. Ann Neurol., 60: 346–355. doi: 10.1002/ana.20918

Author Information

  1. 1

    University Medical Center Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Utrecht, The Netherlands

  2. 2

    Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

  3. 3

    Pacific Health Research Institute, Honolulu, HI

  4. 4

    Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

*University Medical Center Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Stratenum 6.131, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 18 SEP 2006
  2. Article first published online: 24 JUL 2006
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 20 MAY 2006
  4. Manuscript Revised: 19 MAY 2006
  5. Manuscript Received: 30 JAN 2006

Funded by

  • National Institute on Aging [NIA]
  • “Epidemiology of Brain Aging in the Very Old”. Grant Number: 5UO1AG09349
  • “Epidemiology of Aging and Dementia–Autopsy Research”. Grant Number: 2 RO1AG07155
  • Intramural Research Program of the NIA
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Grant Number: NO1-HC-05102
  • American Heart Association. Grant Number: 95-014560

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (185K)

Abstract

Objective:

To estimate the association of endogenous levels of bioavailable testosterone and estradiol with risk for cognitive decline and dementia in old men.

Methods:

Within the population-based, prospective Honolulu-Asia Aging Study, 2,974 men, aged 71 to 93 years, without dementia were reexamined 3 times over an average of 6 years for development of dementia and cognitive decline. Cognitive decline was measured with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument. Incident dementia was diagnosed according to standard criteria. A total of 134 men experienced development of Alzheimer's disease (AD; including 40 cases with contributing cerebrovascular disease) and 44 experienced development of vascular dementia.

Results:

Adjusting for age and other covariates, testosterone was not associated with risk for dementia (using Cox regression analyses) or cognitive decline (using random coefficient analyses). However, higher levels of estradiol were associated with risk for AD (hazard ratio per standard deviation increase, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–1.47) and AD with cerebrovascular disease (hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.38). Also, compared with the lowest tertile of estradiol, men in the middle and highest tertile of estradiol had 0.24 and 0.28 points lower Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument scores, respectively, for each year increase in age.

Interpretation:

In old men, endogenous testosterone levels are not associated with risk for cognitive decline and AD, whereas higher estrogen levels increase risk for cognitive decline and AD. Ann Neurol 2006.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (185K)