Association of plasma levels of testosterone and vitamin D with abdominal obesity and smoking. Pilot study

The aim of the study is to study the association of vitamin D and testosterone levels in railway workers in the presence of concomitant risk factors: smoking and abdominal obesity.

Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients with inpatient profi le (form 003/s) for the period from 01.01.2016 to 31.12.2018, treated in the Scientifi c Advisory Center /SAC/ N «Russian Railways», Moscow. Among these medical records were randomly selected 60? of these, 30 were without signs of central obesity and 30 were with signs of central obesity. The criterion for central obesity were waist circumference of 102 cm or more. The results of biochemical studies, plasma content of free testosterone and vitamin D, as well as indications of whether the patient smokes or not were writt en out. The mean age was 45,3±9.0 years; body mass index (BMI) was 38,1±7.4 kg/m2.

Results. Th e presence of abdominal obesity and Smoking were factors that were independently or in combination associated (p<0.05) with changes in glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, testosterone, and vitamin D. Both abdominal obesity and smoking were associated with increased levels of glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and triglycerides, as well as decreased testosterone and vitamin D. Th e χ2 method has been shown that low testosterone levels are observed against the  background of low plasma concentrations of vitamin D mainly in smokers, and high testosterone levels against the background of high vitamin D content — in non-smokers. Similarly, against the background of central obesity, low testosterone levels are associated with low vitamin D. signifi cant (p<0.05) weight correlations with triglyceride levels (0.50); waist circumferences with triglyceride levels (0.53), glucose and glycated hemoglobin (0.59), cholesterol, and LDL (0.93) were found.

Conclusion: Th e simultaneous reduction of vitamin D and testosterone levels, the most typical for smokers and for those with signs of abdominal obesity, requires more att ention fr om endocrinologists. 

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