A study has discovered that having lower serum testosterone levels could be linked to an increased arthritis risk.
Low Testosterone Levels and Arthritis Risk
Arthritis is a condition that is both chronic and common. At times, it remains a mystery as to why some people end up with arthritis why others do not. Scientists are still trying to delve deeper into factors that affect one's risk of developing arthritis.
Researchers performed a cross-sectional study and looked into the link between arthritis risk and levels of testosterone. Their analysis covered more than 10,000 adults. They discovered that lower testosterone levels were linked to a higher risk of getting arthritis.
These researchers noted that earlier research had already posited that levels of testosterone could affect arthritis development. They wanted to take a deeper look into this link through their study.
The authors maximized data taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which covers the data of individuals across the US. The researchers excluded the participants who lacked data pertaining to testosterone levels or arthritis. With this, a total of 10,439 participants were covered in their analysis.
Different factors were accounted for during the data collection. These factors include smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, sex, education level, and marital status. The researchers then used three models to factor in the covariates.
The study discovered that those participants who had arthritis had lower levels of serum testosterone compared to those without arthritis. The study also found that these low levels of testosterone were linked to a higher arthritis risk.
Further subgroup analysis also discovered that this link was higher among participants who were female and who had higher body mass index.
Upon further dividing participants into four groups according to levels of testosterone, the researchers discovered that the group with the highest levels had a 51% lower risk of getting arthritis compared to the group that had the lowest testosterone levels.
Not a Causal Link
It is important to note, however, that the study comes with limitations. Firstly, the authors warned that the study did not delve into any causal links between the two objects of study. Secondly, the researchers mainly depended on arthritis diagnosis that was reported by the participant. This leaves room for bias.
On top of this, the findings may not be applicable to other groups of people or to those from different regions. They also lacked data pertaining to some covariables, which could have affected the accuracy of the study. They also acknowledged that confounders or measurement errors could have been present during the study.
Nevertheless, the findings show the possible helpfulness of monitoring the levels of testosterone among those who have a higher risk of getting arthritis. The study authors concluded that the studies have revealed the significant link between the two factors and that the recent findings stress how levels of serum testosterone play a role among patients who have arthritis. However, no causal relationship has been established and further study is necessary.
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