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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Atherosclerosis. 2021 Nov 10;341:71–79. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2021.11.009

Table 3.

Cross sectional association between sex hormones and extra-coronary calcification at MESA exam 1 (2000-2002)

Women Men
Free testosterone SHBG Free testosterone SHBG
Percent difference (95% CI)
Aortic valve
Model 1 6 (1, 11) −6 (−11, −1) 0 (−6, 7) −1 (−7, 5)
Model 2 4 (−2, 10) −4 (−10, 1) −1 (−8, 5) 1 (−5, 8)
Model 3 −1 (−7, 5) 0 (−6, 6) −5 (−11, 2) 4 (−2, 11)
Mitral valve
Model 1 7 (0, 13) −6 (−12, 0) −3 (−8, 2) 3 (−2, 7)
Model 2 −2 (−9, 5) 2 (−5, 10) −5 (−10, 0) 5 (0, 11)
Model 3 −7 (−14, 0) 7 (−1, 16) −5 (−10, 0) 5 (0, 11)
Ascending aorta
Model 1 3 (0, 5) −2 (−5, 0) −2 (−5, 1) 2 (−1,5)
Model 2 1 (−2, 5) −1 (−4, 3) −1 (−4, 2) 1 (−2, 4)
Model 3 −1 (−4, 3) 1 (−2, 5) −2 (−5, 1) 2 (−1,5)
Descending aorta
Model 1 7 (−2, 17) −6 (−14, 2) 1 (−7, 11) −3 (−10, 6)
Model 2 4 (−6, 16) −4 (−14, 7) 3 (−5, 13) −5 (−12, 4)
Model 3 −8 (−18, 3) 9 (−2, 22) −1 (−9, 8) −1 (−9, 7)

CI, Confidence intervals; MESA, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis SHBG, Sex hormone binding globulin.

Percent difference was derived from linear mixed effect models and calculated by ([Exp (β) −1]*100).

Extra-coronary calcification was analyzed as ln(ECC+1).

The independent variables (sex hormones) were natural log-transformed and modeled per one standard deviation.

Results in bold font indicate statistical significance at p <0.05.

Results in bold font with asterisk indicate Bonferroni corrected statistical significance at p <0.002.

Model 1: adjusted for age, race/ethnicity and MESA study site.

Model 2: adjusted for model 1 covariates plus education, physical activity, smoking, pack-years of smoking, BMI and health insurance.

Model 3: adjusted for model 2 covariates plus systolic blood pressure, use of anti-hypertensive medication, total cholesterol, HDL-C, use of lipid-lowering medication, diabetes mellitus and eGFR.

In women, model 2 was additionally adjusted for age at menopause and current use of hormone therapy.