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Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 12, 3251-3253, December 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Population variation in age-related decline in male salivary testosterone

Peter T. Ellison1,7, Richard G. Bribiescas2, Gillian R. Bentley3, Benjamin C. Campbell4, Susan F. Lipson1, Catherine Panter-Brick5 and Kim Hill6

1 Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 2 Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA, 3 Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK, 4 Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA, 5 Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK and 6 Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

BACKGROUND: Age-related declines in free and bioavailable testosterone are frequently reported for Western populations, but interpopulation variation in this pattern has not previously been investigated. METHODS: Salivary testosterone was measured using a consistently applied protocol on morning samples collected from men in four populations (USA, Congo, Nepal, and Paraguay) representing different geographical, ecological, and cultural settings. RESULTS: Mean testosterone levels varied significantly between the four populations. The mean testosterone differences between populations were greatest for young men (aged 15–30 years) and insignificant for older men (aged 45–60 years). The slope of age-related decline in testosterone was significant in the USA and Congolese participants, but not in the Nepalese or Paraguayan participants. CONCLUSIONS: Age patterns of testosterone decline vary between populations primarily as a result of variation in the peak levels attained in young adulthood. The potential consequences of this variation for other aspects of male health deserve investigation.

Key words: ageing/population variation/salivary testosterone/testosterone

7 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Anthropology, Peabody Museum, Harvard University,11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA. E-mail: pellison{at}fas.harvard.edu


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