Table 1.
Demographical and clinical characteristics of study population, considering the entire cohort and the stratification for total testosterone serum levels
| Entire population | Subgroups by serum total testosterone values | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group I T < 8 nmol/L |
Group II T 8–12 nmol/L |
Group III T > 12 nmol/L |
P values | ||
| N | 221 | 176 | 28 | 17 | |
| Age (years) | 70.5 (26–93) | 72.5 (30–93) | 63 (45–86) | 59 (26–84) | 0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 27.2 (17.9–45.0) | 27.0 (17.9–42.3) | 27.6 (18.0–35.6) | 27.0 (22.2–45.0) | 0.798 |
| Arterial hypertension no. (%) | 109 (60.9) | 87 (61.7) | 13 (52.0) | 9 (69.2) | 0.536 |
| Diabetes mellitus no. (%) | 53 (24.0) | 45 (25.6) | 5 (17.9) | 3 (17.6) | 0.551 |
| CAD no. (%) | 95 (43.0) | 78 (44.3) | 8 (28.6) | 9 (52.9) | 0.203 |
| Active or past cancer no. (%) | 51 (23.1) | 45 (25.6) | 3 (10.7) | 3 (17.6) | 0.191 |
| COPD no. (%) | 37 (16.7) | 32 (18.2) | 3 (10.7) | 2 (11.8) | 0.524 |
| CKD no. (%) | 30 (13.6) | 24 (13.6) | 3 (10.7) | 3 (17.6) | 0.804 |
| ≥ 2 comorbidities no. (%) | 122 (55.2) | 104 (59.1) | 8 (28.6) * | 10 (58.8)* | 0.001 |
| IL-6 (pg/mL) | 26.0 (2.0–480.0) | 32.5 (2.0–480.0) | 14.0 (2.0–182.0) * | 14.0 (4.0–119.0)* | 0.001 |
| Ferritin (ng/mL) | 572.2 (3.8–5027.0) | 606.8 (3.8–5027.0) | 533.7 (37.0–2013.0) § | 237.8 (47.0–918.0)* | 0.012 |
| CRP (mg/dL) | 8.7 (0.1–80.6) | 9.8 (0.1–56.6) | 6.3 (0.6–80.6) § | 1.70 (0.1–14.6)* | < 0.001 |
| LDH (U/L) | 314.0 (31.0–2484.0) | 331.5 (79.0–2484.0) | 268.0 (184.0–456.0)*,§ | 207.0 (31.0–572.0)* | < 0.001 |
| LH (U/L) | 7.2 (0.2–78.0) | 7.1 (0.2–45.3) | 7.5 (3.5–78.0) | 7.23 (3.5–14.1) | 0.507 |
| 25(OH) D (ng/mL) | 15.0 (2.0–73.0) | 15.0 (2.0–73) | 19.0 (4.0–47.0) | 15.5 (6.3–31.0) | 0.425 |
| TSH (uUI/mL)** | 0.66 (0.0–93.0) | 0.64 (0.0–93.0) | 0.66 (0.1–2.6) | 1.35 (0.3–5.1) | 0.206 |
| fT3 (pmol/L)** | 3.43 (1.3–6.3) | 3.32 (1.3–6.3) | 3.59 (2.3–6.3) | 3.86 (2.6–4.8)* | 0.041 |
| Low-T3-syndrome, n (%)** | 94 (48.5) | 80 (53.3) | 9 (33.3) | 5 (29.4) | 0.041 |
| fT4 (pmol/L)** | 13.39 (7.6–25.9) | 13.98 (7.6–25.9) | 14.06 (9.2–21.5) | 12.8 (8.1–19.8) | 0.410 |
| PaO2/FiO2 no. (%) | 295.0 (97.0–592.0) | 278.1 (97.0–592.0) | 310.5 (117.0–471.0)* | 328.0 (247.0–452.0)* | 0.001 |
Values in bold were statistically significant
BMI body mass index, CAD coronary artery disease, CKD chronic kidney disease, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, CRP C-reactive protein, fT3 free-triiodothyronine, fT4 free-tetraiodothyronine, IL-6 interleukin-6, LDH lactate dehydrogenase, LH luteinizing hormone, PaO2/FiO2 arterial partial pressure oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio, T total testosterone, TSH thyroid-stimulating hormone, 25(OH) D 25 hydroxyvitamin D
Categorical data are presented as n/n or %, whereas continuous data are presented as median and range
§P < 0.05 vs Group III
*P < 0.05 vs Group I
**Available for 194 subjects