Elevated Testosterone Associated With Decreased Likelihood of Asthma

This article is part of Pulmonology Advisor‘s coverage of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology annual meeting, taking place in San Francisco, California. Our staff will report on medical research related to asthma, allergy, and other respiratory conditions, conducted by experts in the field. Check back regularly for more news from AAAAI 2019.

SAN FRANCISCO — Regardless of gender, patients with elevated serum testosterone levels were less likely to have current asthma, according to research presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting 2019, held February 22-25, 2019, in San Francisco, California.

Researchers of this cross-sectional study sought to examine whether serum testosterone had an inverse correlation with current asthma prevalence.

Data were extracted from the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database and serum testosterone levels and asthma history were evaluated in 7584 patients aged 1 to 80 years old. Of the total study population, 601 patients were identified with current asthma; patients were further stratified by age and gender. Adjusting for demographic variables, logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between serum testosterone and the prevalence of current asthma.

In the general study population, each 25 ng/dL increase in serum testosterone correlated with a 3% (95% CI, 1%-4%; P =.002) decrease in the likelihood of having asthma. Dividing the patients into tertiles based on the range of serum testosterone levels, a 58% (95% CI, 29%-75%; P =.003) decrease in the likelihood of current asthma was associated with the highest tertile (n=1904) vs the lowest tertile.

Regardless of gender, this trend continued and was more prominent in women (31% decrease; 95% CI, 11%-46%; P =.006) vs men (3% decrease; 95% CI, 1%-7%; P =.044). In patients ≥12 years, the highest serum testosterone tertile (n=4930) was also associated with a 47% decrease (95% CI, 30%-59%; P <.001) in the likelihood of current asthma compared with the lowest tertile. In patients <12 years (n=782), no association between serum testosterone and current asthma was observed.

The researchers suggested that based on the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database, an inverse relationship exists between serum testosterone and current asthma prevalence.

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Reference

Shepard KV, Bulkhi AA, Casale TB, Cardet JC. Elevated testosterone is associated with decreased likelihood of current asthma regardless of gender. Presented at: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting 2019; February 22-25, 2019; San Francisco, CA. Abstract 237.