Low Testosterone Linked to 18% Higher Risk of Dying From Cancer

Men with very low testosterone levels have an 18 percent higher risk of dying from cancer, according to an international study published in the journal Lancet Healthy Longevity. The findings suggest hormone levels could serve as an early warning of health risks years or even decades before a cancer diagnosis.

The work was carried out under the Androgens In Men Study (AIMS), led by Professor Bu Yeap of The University of Western Australia. Researchers drew on data from more than 26,000 men in 11 long-running studies in Australia, the United States and Europe. They analyzed hormone levels in blood samples taken earlier in the men's lives and compared them with cancer diagnoses and deaths recorded over the following decades.

A key threshold

Men whose testosterone was in the lowest fifth of the range had a higher risk of dying from cancer than those in the highest fifth, even after accounting for age and other health factors. Risk began to rise when baseline testosterone fell below 8.6 nmol/L. In healthy younger men, levels typically run from 10 to 30 nmol/L and tend to decline with age. Body mass index, physical activity and conditions such as diabetes can also affect them.

Prostate cancer

Natural testosterone levels were not associated with prostate cancer risk. That cancer was instead linked to low levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and luteinizing hormone, which is produced in the pituitary gland and signals the testes to make testosterone.

What it means

Professor Yeap stressed the results are not a reason to take testosterone supplements to prevent cancer, since there is no evidence that doing so lowers the risk. He said men found to have low testosterone should see a doctor for a full checkup, which may reveal other health issues or risk factors.