Table 3.
Biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and carotid artery stiffness
| Variable | Younger Men | MA/O Men with Low T | MA/O Men with Normal T | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circulating factors | ||||
| N | 6 | 10 | 10 | |
| IL-6, pg/mL | 0.7 ± 0.44 | 1.98 ± 0.92* | 1.15 ± 0.43† | 0.005 |
| CRP, mg/La | 0.19 [0.06–0.48] | 1.48 [0.82–4.20] | 1.10 [0.71–1.41] | 0.004 |
| Oxidized LDL, U/L | 64.8 ± 33.4 | 65.9 ± 10.1 | 66.7 ± 9.5 | 0.882 |
| TAS, mmol/L | 1.9 ± 0.4 | 1.8 ± 0.5 | 1.7 ± 0.1 | 0.633 |
| Carotid artery measures | ||||
| Carotid artery compliance, mm/mmHg | 0.16 ± 0.05 | 0.09 ± 0.02* | 0.10 ± 0.02* | <0.001 |
Data are means ± SD or median [interquartile range]. CRP, C-reactive protein; IL-6, interleukin-6; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MA/O, middle-aged/older; T, testosterone; TAS, total antioxidant status. Boldface indicates significant main effect. aNonnormally distributed data. *P < 0.05 compared with younger men, †P < 0.05 compared with MA/O men with low T.