Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Jan 5.
Published in final edited form as: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2023 Jul 5;32(7):976–985. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-23-0102

Table 3.

Unadjusted geometric mean hormone levels by potential covariates in postmenopausal women not using hormone therapy at the time of blood draw in the Nurses’ Health Study (n=1976)

Estradiol (pg/mL) Estrone (pg/mL) Estrone sulfate (pg/mL) Testosterone (ng/dL) DHEAS (ug/dL) Prolactin (ng/mL) SHBG (nmol/L)
N Mean (95% CI) N Mean (95% CI) N Mean (95% CI) N Mean (95% CI) N Mean (95% CI) N Mean (95% CI) N Mean (95% CI)
Age at blood draw
 <55 649 5.3 (5.1–5.6) 612 22.7 (21.8–23.5) 519 239.3 (225.2–254.3) 781 19.1 (18.5–19.8) 557 68.6 (64.6–72.8) 506 9.1 (8.8–9.5) 739 54.5 (52.5–56.6)
 ≥55 975 5.1 (5.0–5.3) 924 22.9 (22.2–23.6) 663 226.4 (214.9–238.4) 1088 20.3 (19.7–21.0) 817 51.2 (48.7–53.8) 686 8.8 (8.5–9.1) 1040 57.2 (55.5–58.9)
 t-test p-value 0.20 0.65 0.17 0.009 <0.0001 0.20 0.05
Years since menopause
 <10 632 5.4 (5.1–5.6) 598 22.9 (22.1–23.8) 501 242.2 (227.5–257.8) 743 19.2 (18.6–19.9) 530 68.0 (64.0–72.4) 482 9.2 (8.9–9.6) 707 53.5 (51.5–55.6)
 ≥10 992 5.1 (4.9–5.3) 938 22.7 (22.1–23.4) 681 224.7 (213.6–236.4) 1126 20.2 (19.6–20.9) 844 51.9 (49.4–54.6) 710 8.7 (8.5–9.0) 1072 57.8 (56.1–59.5)
 t-test p-value 0.08 0.69 0.07 0.03 <0.0001 0.05 0.002
BMI
 <25 830 4.1 (4.0–4.3) 789 20.1 (19.5–20.7) 591 189.9 (180.8–199.5) 958 19.8 (19.2–20.5) 708 58.3 (55.2–61.6) 612 9.0 (8.7–9.3) 923 68.9 (67.1–70.8)
 25–29.3 531 5.7 (5.5–6.0) 499 23.6 (22.6–24.6) 392 248.2 (231.7–265.8) 622 19.5 (18.7–20.3) 458 57.7 (54.0–61.7) 392 9.0 (8.6–9.4) 581 48.4 (46.6–50.3)
 ≥30 263 8.9 (8.4–9.4) 248 31.9 (30.2–33.8) 199 367.6 (334.8–403.7) 289 20.5 (19.4–21.8) 208 55.1 (49.8–61.1) 188 8.7 (8.1–9.3) 275 38.3 (36.1–40.7)
 t-test p-value <0.0001 <0.0001 <0.0001 0.36 0.63 0.60 <0.0001
Smoking status
 Never 729 5.3 (5.1–5.5) 691 22.8 (22.0–23.6) 532 245.8 (231.7–260.7) 832 19.5 (18.8–20.2) 625 57.5 (54.4–60.8) 528 9.3 (8.9–9.6) 788 55.7 (53.8–57.7)
 Former 673 5.2 (5.0–5.4) 636 22.6 (21.8–23.5) 491 228.4 (214.8–242.8) 778 19.5 (18.8–20.2) 565 54.7 (51.3–58.3) 498 9.0 (8.6–9.3) 740 54.2 (52.3–56.3)
 Current 222 5.1 (4.7–5.4) 209 23.5 (22.1–24.9) 159 200.3 (180.3–222.5) 259 21.8 (20.5–23.1) 184 68.2 (61.2–76.0) 166 7.9 (7.4–8.4) 251 62.9 (59.3–66.8)
 ANOVA p-value 0.62 0.61 0.004 0.006 0.002 0.0002 0.0003
Alcohol (grams/day)
 No regular use 646 5.6 (5.3–5.8) 609 23.9 (23.0–24.8) 463 230.8 (215.8–246.8) 741 20.1 (19.4–20.9) 559 52.8 (49.6–56.2) 465 8.8 (8.4–9.1) 703 54.0 (51.9–56.2)
 ≤20 798 4.9 (4.7–5.1) 759 22.0 (21.3–22.7) 587 223.6 (212.1–235.7) 913 19.3 (18.7–20.0) 661 58.9 (55.8–62.2) 595 9.1 (8.7–9.4) 879 57.9 (56.0–59.7)
 >20 110 5.3 (4.8–5.8) 106 22.9 (20.9–25.0) 85 275.0 (237.9–318.0) 130 21.2 (19.4–23.3) 91 82.1 (70.2–95.9) 81 8.7 (7.8–9.7) 117 54.9 (50.3–60.0)
 ANOVA p-value <0.0001 0.005 0.03 0.07 <0.0001 0.46 0.02
Hysterectomy
 No 1342 5.2 (5.1–5.4) 1275 22.8 (22.2–23.4) 992 237.4 (227.4–247.8) 1545 20.4 (19.9–20.9) 1128 60.4 (57.9–63.1) 996 8.9 (8.6–9.1) 1471 56.3 (54.9–57.8)
 Yes 282 5.1 (4.8–5.5) 261 22.8 (21.5–24.1) 190 205.5 (186.2–226.7) 324 17.5 (16.4–18.5) 246 46.4 (42.2–51.0) 196 9.2 (8.7–9.8) 308 54.8 (51.8–57.9)
 t-test p-value 0.70 0.99 0.008 <0.0001 <0.0001 0.26 0.38
Unilateral oophorectomy
 No 1517 5.2 (5.1–5.4) 1435 22.8 (22.2–23.3) 1102 233.8 (224.5–243.5) 1745 20.0 (19.5–20.5) 1295 58.2 (55.9–60.6) 1112 8.9 (8.7–9.2) 1659 56.0 (54.7–57.4)
 Yes 107 5.0 (4.5–5.6) 101 23.3 (21.3–25.6) 80 207.6 (177.1–243.2) 124 17.5 (16.0–19.1) 79 49.0 (40.6–59.0) 80 9.1 (8.2–10.1) 120 56.7 (51.5–62.4)
 t-test p-value 0.49 0.61 0.14 0.004 0.04 0.74 0.81
Irregular cycles
 No 1317 5.2 (5.0–5.3) 1248 22.8 (22.2–23.4) 970 234.3 (224.2–244.9) 1513 19.7 (19.2–20.2) 1110 58.1 (55.6–60.7) 974 9.0 (8.8–9.3) 1445 56.8 (55.3–58.3)
 Yes 206 5.5 (5.1–5.9) 196 23.6 (22.2–25.2) 140 239.5 (215.6–266.1) 240 20.5 (19.2–21.8) 181 54.6 (49.0–60.7) 143 8.7 (8.1–9.4) 223 52.3 (49.0–55.9)
 t-test p-value 0.15 0.32 0.73 0.29 0.29 0.39 0.02