Impact on lipoprotein profile after long-term testosterone replacement in hypogonadal men

Testosterone serum levels may influence the lipoprotein metabolism and possibly atherogenic risk. Our aim was to investigate the effects of long-term testosterone supplementation in hypogonadal men on multiple lipoprotein markers. 18 Hypogonadal men were studied before and after 3, 6, and 18 (n = 7) months of treatment with testosterone enanthate. During treatment, serum testosterone and estradiol increased, reaching normal levels (p < 0.0001 and 0.003, respectively). This was associated with a decrease in HDL cholesterol (from 1.40 +/- 0.10 mmol/l to 1.22 +/- 0.08 mmol/l, p < 0.001) after six months at the expense of HDL2 cholesterol (p<0.01), as well as apoprotein A1 (from 139 +/- 3.4 mg/dl to 126 +/- 3.0 mg/dl, p < 0.005). Hepatic lipase activity increased (p < 0.05) and correlated positively with testosterone (r = 0.56, p < 0.02) and negatively with HDL cholesterol (r = -0.58, p < 0.02). Total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and apoprotein B did not increase. Among the seven patients who completed 18 months of treatment, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, as well as total cholesterol/ HDL cholesterol ratio values did not differ from baseline while apoprotein A1 (p < 0.03) and HDL cholesterol (p < 0.015) remained decreased and hepatic lipase unchanged. Restoration of testosterone levels in hypogonadal men in this study did not reveal unfavorable changes based on total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol/apoprotein B ratios, which are both atherogenic risk markers. Whether the changes in light of lipoprotein metabolism will adversely influence cardiovascular risk over time remains to be determined.