The relationships of testosterone, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate and sex hormone-binding globulin to lipid and glucose metabolism in healthy men.

We investigated the relationships of plasma sex hormones (free testosterone; free T, estradiol; E2 dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate; DHEA-S) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels to lipid and glucose metabolism cross-sectionally in 212 apparently healthy men aged from 18 to 59 years. A multiple linear regression analysis for lipid and glucose parameters with age, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (%fat), waist to hip ratio (WHR), estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), alcohol and cigarette consumption, sex hormones, and SHBG, respectively, as independent variables, was performed. DHEA-S was indicated as one of the independent predictors of both high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), with a positive relation, and of triglyceride and total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio, with a negative relation, while SHBG was one of the predictors of both HDL-C, with a positive relation, and of fasting insulin, with a negative relation. The E2 level was found to be negatively related to both low density lipoprotein cholesterol and fasting blood glucose. These findings thus suggest that the higher levels of SHBG, DHEA-S and E2 within physiological ranges in healthy men may partially help to maintain a desirable profile of the plasma lipid and glucose metabolism.