Table 3.

Cross-sectional associations between baseline circulating sex hormone levels and physical performance at examination 7 (n = 832)

	Multivariable linear regression
	SPPB score		Usual walking speed (m/sec)		Grip strength (kg)
	β (95% CI)	P	β (95% CI)	P	β (95% CI)	P
Continuous hormone levels
TT	0.06 (−0.03–0.15)	0.18	0.02 (−0.006–0.04)	0.15	0.35 (−0.55–1.24)	0.45
FT	0.13 (0.03–0.22)	0.008	0.02 (0.0001–0.04)	0.048	0.57 (−0.33–1.48)	0.21
SHBG	−0.08 (−0.17–0.02)	0.13	−0.01 (−0.04–0.009)	0.23	−0.41 (−1.38–0.56)	0.41
Dichotomized sex hormone levels
Low TT	−0.14 (−0.40–0.11)	0.27	−0.01 (−0.07–0.05)	0.65	−1.73 (−4.16–0.70)	0.16
Low FT	−0.13 (−0.34–0.07)	0.20	−0.03 (−0.08–0.01)	0.16	−2.01 (−3.95–0.07)	0.04
High SHBG	−0.08 (−0.33–0.18)	0.55	−0.05 (−0.11–0.007)	0.09	0.38 (−2.13–2.88)	0.77

Continuous hormone levels and β−values are for 1 sd change in sex hormone levels. All models were adjusted for age, BMI, smoking, and comorbidities (cancer and cardiovascular disease) at examination 7. Sex hormones were defined as low or high vs. normal using healthy reference sample of FHS Generation 3 men. Low TT and FT levels were those below the 2.5th percentile of the referent sample (TT <348.3 ng/dl; FT <70.0 pg/ml), and SHBG levels above the 97.5th percentile of the referent sample (SHBG, 81.6 nmol/liter) represented high SHBG levels. Low FT levels (<70 pg/ml) were associated with decreased grip strength. Each sd increase in FT level was associated with 0.13 U increase in SPPB score and 0.02 m/sec increase in usual walking speed.