Abstract
To investigate the degree of association between levels of sex hormones and anthropometric indices in male population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between July 2014 and July, 2016, in a men's health polyclinic in Taiwan. Body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and conicity index were tested. Serum total testosterone, free testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) were measured. Decreased testosterone levels were correlated with the four indices (r = −0.09 to −0.27, p < 0.01). In hypogonadism group, DHEA-S deficiency was associated with older age, higher anthropometric indices, and chronic illness. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of hypogonadism and DHEA-S deficiency by the four anthropometric indices ranged from 52.5% to 65.9%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that obesity, defined by the four indices, was associated with increased risk of hypogonadism. Moreover, obesity was also associated with increased risk and DHEA-S deficiency. Anthropometric indices analyzed are associated with lower testosterone and DEAH-S deficiency. A WHtR of 0.5 is suggested to be a simple and reliable indicator of hypogonadism and DHEA-S deficiency.
