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The association of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium with non-gonococcal urethritis: observations on heterosexual men and their female partners.

Our objectives were to study the distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium in men with or without non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) and their respective female partners. A case-control study was carried out to which men with or without NGU and their female partners were recruited. All study participants were tested for the presence of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium. An analysis firstly of the distribution of each of these microorganisms among men with or without urethritis and their respective female partners was carried out. Furthermore, we examined the association of each of these microorganisms and NGU when the other had been excluded. Chlamydia trachomatis was present in 14 (36%) of 39 men with NGU compared to none of 12 men without NGU (P=0.022). The prevalence rates for female partners of men with NGU were 10 (26%) of 39 compared to none of 12 partners of men without NGU (P=0.092). M. genitalium was detected in 12 (33%) of 36 men with NGU compared to 1 (9%) of men without NGU (not significant; P=0.147). The prevalence rates for female partners of men with NGU were 10 (32%) of 31 women compared to none of 7 partners of men without NGU (not significant; P=0.156). There was a greater concordance than discordance of carriage of each of the 2 microorganisms among the study couples and each tended to be carried independently of the other by men. Analysis of the association between the presence of C. trachomatis in men and NGU was significantly improved by the exclusion of men with M. genitalium (P=0.0058). Likewise, the association between the presence of M. genitalium in men and NGU was significantly improved by the exclusion of couples in whom either the man or woman was C. trachomatis-positive (P=0.049). The independent carriage of C. trachomatis and M. genitalium by men with NGU, coupled with the improved association between each pathogen and NGU by exclusion of the other provides support for the separate role of each in the aetiology of NGU.

Adult↗

[Endocrine profiles and gonadotropin response to Gn-RH of men with testicular cancer].

PURPOSE: To investigate the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis in testicular germ cell tumors, we evaluated gonadotropin responses to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH), semen quality, and serum levels of sex steroid hormones in patients with testicular cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Basal serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and human chorionic gonadotropin-beta (hCG-beta) were measured before and after high orchiectomy in 20 patients with germ cell tumors of the testicle (9 with seminoma and 11 with nonseminomatous tumor). Semen quality and basal serum levels of testosterone, free testosterone, and estradiol were measured before orchiectomy. The Gn-RH test was performed before orchiectomy in all patients and after orchiectomy in patients without detectable gonadotropin levels in pre-operative serum samples. Gonadotropin levels were measured at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after intravenous injection of 100 micrograms of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH). RESULTS: Serum gonadotropin concentrations were not detectable in 6 of 8 (75%) men with hCG positive tumors or in 4 of 12 (33.3%) men with hCG negative tumors before orchiectomy. Before surgery, 10 men without detectable gonadotropin levels showed complete suppression of the LH and FSH responses to LH-RH and 10 men with detectable gonadotropin levels showed significant increases in the LH and FSH responses (p < 0.01) at 30 minutes. After surgery, the Gn-RH test was performed in 9 men without detectable gonadotropin levels prior to surgery. Seven of these 9 men exhibited significant increases in the LH and FSH responses (p < 0.01) at 30 minutes while no response to LH-RH before or after surgery was seen in 2 men with detectable serum hCG-beta. We observed a significantly lower sperm density (median 7.5 x 10(6)/ml, range 0.4 to 17.8) in men with hCG positive tumors than in men with hCG negative tumors (median 33 x 10(6)/ml, range 0 to 103) (p < 0.002). Although testosterone levels did not differ significantly in men with hCG positive tumors and men with hCG negative tumors, free testosterone levels were significantly higher in men with hCG positive tumors (median 28.4 ng/ml, range 8.5 to 39.8) compared with men with hCG negative tumors (median 18.7 ng/ml, range 4.9 to 24.1) (p < 0.002). Estradiol levels were significantly increased in men with hCG positive tumors (median 44 pg/ml, range 26 to 110) compared with men with hCG negative tumors (median 33.5 pg/ml, range 10 to 87) (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The present findings indicate that serum hCG producing testicular cancers are associated with a complete suppression of the gonadotropin response to Gn-RH at the pituitary level, resulting in an inhibition of LH and FSH secretion, and also that serum hCG secreted by testicular cancers may suppresses spermatogenesis and may stimulate androgen and estradiol production by the testes. Since suppressed serum gonadotoropin levels are found in men with hCG non-producing testicular cancers, other factors derived from the tumor may cause downregulation of the gonadotropin response to Gn-RH.

Adult↗

Racial variation in prostate specific antigen in a large cohort of men without prostate cancer.

Several studies have reported racial variation in serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. Many of these studies, however, have included a significant number of men without a documented digital rectal examination (DRE) result or without prostate biopsies if abnormalities in PSA or DRE were detected. Thus, it is not clear that men with prostate cancer have been excluded in these analyses. In this report, data from 9,162 men (3,786 African-American men and 5,376 white men) are reviewed. All men had both serum PSA and DRE testing. Every man in this study had either a documented normal DRE and PSA (< 4 ng/mL) (3,422 African-American men and 4,795 white men) or a negative prostate biopsy (364 African-American men and 581 white men). Data were analyzed in age-matched decades. African-American men and white men had no difference in serum PSA levels between 30 and 39 years of age. At 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-79 years of age, African-American men had a statistically higher serum PSA level than white men. From these data, we conclude that racial variation in serum PSA is present in all decades above 40 years of age. Our data are unique in that this cohort included a substantial number of men between 30 and 39 years of age. In this group of young men, no racial differences in serum PSA were detected. These studies indicate, for the first time, that the onset of racial variation in PSA occurs after the fourth decade of life.

Adult↗

Stress hormone dysregulation at rest and after serotonergic stimulation among alcohol-dependent men with extended abstinence and controls.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol dependence has been associated with long-lasting alterations in limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) function. Other conditions that are associated with alcoholism (cigarette smoking and antisocial personality disorder [ASPD]) have been linked with disturbances in these interrelated systems. We evaluated the stress hormone response to 5-HTergic stimulation in alcohol-dependent men with extended abstinence (average abstinence duration, 4.3 months) and controls to determine the relative contributions of alcoholism, cigarette smoking, and ASPD on baseline and provoked plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) concentrations. METHODS: One hundred nine alcohol-abstinent men with alcohol dependence (62%), habitual smoking (70%), and ASPD (43%) received D,L-fenfluramine (100 mg po) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. The group of recovering alcohol-dependent individuals included abstinent primary alcohol-dependent men and alcohol-dependent men with ASPD, whereas the group of non-alcohol-dependent men comprised healthy controls and non-alcohol-dependent men with ASPD. Plasma cortisol and ACTH levels were obtained at AM baseline and at half-hour intervals after drug administration. Subjective ratings of drug response and physiological measures were also obtained at baseline and every 30 min. RESULTS: Abstinent alcohol-dependent men had significantly lower (approximately 20%) AM baseline plasma cortisol concentrations than non-alcohol-dependent men on both challenge days; however, no differences between the groups were observed with regard to resting AM plasma ACTH levels. After adjusting for these baseline differences, recovering alcohol-dependent men (area under curve = 35.6 +/- 37.4 [microg/dl] x min) had a twofold greater cortisol response to fenfluramine than non-alcohol-dependent men (area under curve = 17.5 +/- 32.5 [microg/dl] x min) (F = 5.1; df = 1,105; p < 0.03). The elevated cortisol response, which occurred primarily along the descending limb of the response curve, was paralleled by a nonsignificant statistical trend for alcohol-dependent men to also exhibit a greater ACTH response to fenfluramine at the 210-min (p < 0.07) and 240-min (P < 0.09) time points as compared with non-alcohol-dependent men. Cigarette smoking and ASPD did not affect hormonal responses, nor could the groups' subjective ratings and physiological measures be distinguished. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol-dependent men with extended abstinence differed from age- and race-matched non-alcohol-dependent men in resting AM and fenfluramine-induced plasma cortisol levels. This dysfunction in glucocorticoid homeostatic mechanisms was associated with alcoholism and not with smoking or ASPD. We also observed a nonsignificant statistical trend for plasma ACTH levels to be elevated among alcohol-dependent men along the descending limb of the response curve. Alcohol-dependent men seemed to have inherited or acquired damage to 5-HT-regulated LHPA axis function, the precise mechanisms and sites of which remain to be determined.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Hyposomatomedinemia and hypogonadism in hemiplegic men who live in nursing homes.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of low serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and testosterone in men with poststroke hemiplegia. Serum concentrations of IGF-I, total testosterone, and free testosterone were compared in healthy young men, healthy old men, and old men with poststroke hemiplegia. A low IGF-I level, below the lower 2.5 percentile of the healthy young men, occurred in 85% of the healthy old men, and in 88% of the poststroke hemiplegic patients. When a low IGF-I was defined as a value below the lower 2.5 percentile of the healthy old men, the prevalence in the hemiplegic men was 5%. For total testosterone, a value below the lower 2.5 percentile in the healthy young men occurred in 78% of the healthy old men and in 79% of the stroke survivors. Low total testosterone, defined as a value below the lower 2.5 percentile of the healthy old men, occurred in 17% of the hemiplegic men. The results with free testosterone were similar. Compared with healthy young men, most healthy old men have low serum IGF-I and testosterone levels. Old hemiplegic men resemble healthy old men in their IGF-I levels, but they have more cases of severe hypogonadism (total tostosterone < 193ng/dL). Because correction of IGF-I and testosterone deficiencies in younger adults improves muscle strength, work capacity, and quality of life, treatment with human growth hormone and testosterone may be a useful adjunct to physical measures in the rehabilitation of selected hemiplegic stroke survivors.

Adult↗

Cardiorespiratory fitness attenuates the effects of the metabolic syndrome on all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in men.

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome is a prevalent condition that carries with it an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and mortality in healthy men and in those with the metabolic syndrome. METHODS: The sample included 19 223 men, aged 20 to 83 years, who received a clinical evaluation between 1979 and 1995 with mortality follow-up through December 31, 1996. There were 15 466 healthy men (80.5%) and 3757 men with the metabolic syndrome (19.5%). RESULTS: A total of 480 deaths (161 due to CVD) occurred during 196 298 man-years of follow-up. After adjustment for age, year of examination, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and parental CVD, the relative risks (RRs) (95% confidence interval) of all-cause and CVD mortality were 1.29 (1.05-1.57) and 1.89 (1.36-2.60), respectively, for men with the metabolic syndrome compared with healthy men. After the inclusion of CRF, the associations were not significant. The RRs comparing unfit with fit men for all-cause mortality were 2.18 (1.66-2.87) in healthy men and 2.01 (1.38-2.93) in men with the metabolic syndrome, whereas the RRs for CVD mortality for unfit vs fit men were 3.21 (2.03-5.07) in healthy men and 2.25 (1.27-3.97) in men with the metabolic syndrome. A significant dose-response relationship between CRF and mortality was also observed in men with the metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION: In this sample, CRF provided a strong protective effect against all-cause and CVD mortality in healthy men and men with the metabolic syndrome.

Adult↗

Testosterone replacement and resistance exercise in HIV-infected men with weight loss and low testosterone levels.

CONTEXT: Previous studies of testosterone supplementation in HIV-infected men failed to demonstrate improvement in muscle strength. The effects of resistance exercise combined with testosterone supplementation in HIV-infected men are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of testosterone replacement with and without resistance exercise on muscle strength and body composition in HIV-infected men with low testosterone levels and weight loss. DESIGN AND SETTING: Placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial conducted from September 1995 to July 1998 at a general clinical research center. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-one HIV-infected men aged 18 to 50 years with serum testosterone levels of less than 12.1 nmol/L (349 ng/dL) and weight loss of 5% or more in the previous 6 months, 49 of whom completed the study. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: placebo, no exercise (n = 14); testosterone enanthate (100 mg/wk intramuscularly), no exercise (n = 17); placebo and exercise (n = 15); or testosterone and exercise (n = 15). Treatment duration was 16 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in muscle strength, body weight, thigh muscle volume, and lean body mass compared among the 4 treatment groups. RESULTS: Body weight increased significantly by 2.6 kg (P<.001) in men receiving testosterone alone and by 2.2 kg (P = .02) in men who exercised alone but did not change in men receiving placebo alone (-0.5 kg; P = .55) or testosterone and exercise (0.7 kg; P = .08). Men treated with testosterone alone, exercise alone, or both experienced significant increases in maximum voluntary muscle strength in leg press (range, 22%-30%), leg curls (range, 18%-36%), bench press (range, 19%-33%), and latissimus pulls (range, 17%-33%). Gains in strength in all exercise categories were greater in men assigned to the testosterone-exercise group or to the exercise-alone group than in those assigned to the placebo-alone group. There was a greater increase in thigh muscle volume in men receiving testosterone alone (mean change, 40 cm3; P<.001 vs zero change) or exercise alone (62 cm3; P = .003) than in men receiving placebo alone (5 cm3; P = .70). Average lean body mass increased by 2.3 kg (P = .004) and 2.6 kg (P<.001), respectively, in men who received testosterone alone or testosterone and exercise but did not change in men receiving placebo alone (0.9 kg; P = .21). Hemoglobin levels increased in men receiving testosterone but not in those receiving placebo. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that testosterone and resistance exercise promote gains in body weight, muscle mass, muscle strength, and lean body mass in HIV-infected men with weight loss and low testosterone levels. Testosterone and exercise together did not produce greater gains than either intervention alone.

Adult↗

Clinical stage T1c prostate cancer: pathologic outcomes following radical prostatectomy in black and white men.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of prostate cancer in black men is 50% to 70% higher than among age-matched white men. Black men have a twofold higher mortality rate and overall tend to have higher serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels than white men. To determine whether racial differences exist in men whose prostate cancer was diagnosed based solely on an elevated serum PSA level, we compared clinical and pathologic features in black and white men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) for clinical stage T1c prostate cancer. METHODS: We used a prospectively collected database to identify all men undergoing RP for clinical T1c prostate cancer between July 1995 and October 2000. A total of 129 consecutive men (56 black men and 73 white men) were compared for age at diagnosis, serum PSA level, biopsy Gleason score, pathologic stage, RP specimen Gleason score, incidence of lymph node metastasis, and incidence of positive surgical margins. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were not found by race in patients' ages, serum PSA levels, biopsy Gleason score, pathologic stage, incidence of lymph node metastases, or incidence of positive surgical margins. The RP specimen Gleason score was more heterogeneous in black men than white men (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Racial differences in the incidence and mortality rate of prostate cancer are well known, but differences in the clinical and pathologic features between black and white men with prostate cancer identified solely based on an elevated serum PSA level with negative results on digital rectal examination (clinical stage T1c ) have been poorly studied. Our results suggest that men with clinical stage T1c prostate cancer have similar clinical and pathologic findings regardless of race. These results suggest that early-detection programs using serum PSA testing for prostate cancer in black men potentially can result in improvements in prostate cancer outcomes in this high-risk group.

Black or African American↗

MEN 11420, a potent and selective tachykinin NK2 receptor antagonist in the guinea-pig and human colon.

We have characterized the action of the novel, water-soluble, tachykinin NK2 receptor antagonist MEN 11420 ([Asn(2-AcNH-beta-D-Glc)-Asp-Trp-Phe-Dap-Leu] c(2 beta-5 beta)) on the circular muscle of the guinea-pig and human colon in vitro and on the guinea-pig colon in vivo. In organ bath experiments on guinea-pig colon MEN 11420 produced a concentration-dependent rightward shift of the concentration-response curve to the NK2 receptor selective agonist, [beta Ala8]neurokinin A (NKA) (4-10) with a pKB value of 8.1. Up to 1 microM MEN 11420 had no effect on the concentration-response curve to methacholine, to the NK1 receptor selective agonist, [Sar9]substance P (SP) sulfone, to the NK3 receptor selective agonist, senktide, or on the response to exogenous SP. The response to exogenous NKA was inhibited, although the shift of the concentration-response curve to NKA produced by MEN 11420 at 1 microM (dose ratio 5.3) was much smaller than that produced against [beta Ala8]NKA (4-10) (dose ratio 102), presumably because NKA also stimulates NK1 receptors at relatively low concentrations. In sucrose gap, MEN 11420 concentration-dependently inhibited both depolarization (IC50 0.34 microM) and contraction (IC50 = 0.32 microM) produced by [beta Ala8]NKA (4-10) (0.3 microM for 10 s) in the guinea-pig colon without affecting the corresponding responses produced by [Sar9]SP sulfone. When similar experiments were performed in the circular muscle of the human colon MEN 11420 concentration-dependently inhibited both depolarization and contraction induced by [beta Ala8]NKA(4-10) with IC50s of 99 and 75 nM, respectively. MEN 11420 (1 microM) had no effect on the nonadrenergic noncholinergic (NANC) depolarization and contraction produced by a short period of electrical field stimulation (EFS, 10 Hz for 1 s) in the guinea-pig colon and selectively inhibited the sustained component of depolarization produced during a prolonged period of EFS (3 Hz for 3 min), without affecting the concomitant depolarization. Nifedipine (1 microM) eliminated the NANC contraction to a short period of EFS and the phasic contraction in response to a prolonged period of EFS. MEN 11420 (1 microM) abolished the nifedipine-resistant NANC contraction produced by prolonged period of electrical field stimulation (EFS, 3 Hz for 3 min). All electrical and mechanical NANC responses to EFS which were resistant to MEN 11420, either in the absence or presence of nifedipine, were abolished by the subsequent application of the NK1 receptor antagonist, SR 140333 (1 microM). Up to 3 microM, MEN 11420 had no significant effect on the cholinergic excitatory junction potential or the NANC inhibitory junction potential evoked by single pulse EFS, nor did it affect membrane conductance. In urethane-anaesthetized guinea-pigs MEN 11420 (10-100 nmol/kg i.v.) produced a dose-dependent and long lasting (> 3 h) inhibition of the contractile response (15 +/- 2 mmHg) of the proximal colon induced by [beta Ala8]NKA (4-10) (3 nmol/kg i.v.). MEN 11420 (300 nmol/kg i.v.) did not affect the contraction produced by [Sar9]SP sulfone. MEN 11420 (300 nmol/kg) produced a limited (Emax about 40% inhibition) and transient (recovery within 60 min) inhibition of the atropine- and hexamethonium-sensitive phasic contractions of the proximal colon induced by threshold distension of a colonic balloon. On the other hand, MEN 11420 (10-300 nmol/kg i.v.) produced a dose-dependent complete and prolonged (> 2 h from administration) inhibition of the atropine-resistant and hexamethonium-sensitive phasic contraction induced by suprathreshold distension of the colonic balloon. We conclude that MEN 11420 is a potent and selective tachykinin NK2 receptor antagonist devoid of significant inhibitory activity toward excitatory transmission mediated via tachykinin NK1 or muscarinic receptors. The present findings indicate that SP and NKA are likely involved in the preferential activation of NK1 and NK2 receptors during tachykininergi

Aged↗

Comparison of 15-year survival for men and women after initial medical or surgical treatment for coronary artery disease: a CASS registry study. Coronary Artery Surgery Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the rates of coronary artery bypass graft surgery and 15-year survival for men and women after initial medical or surgical management. BACKGROUND: There has been concern that women with coronary artery disease are managed differently than men and that men and women have a different prognosis. The Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) registry is a large data base of well characterized patients with long-term follow-up. METHODS: Patients underwent cardiac catheterization at 1 of 15 hospitals during 1974 to 1979. Bypass surgery rates were based on 12,452 men and 2,366 women. Survival results were based on 6,018 men and 1,095 women with operable coronary artery disease and initial medical management and 6,922 men and 1,291 women initially managed surgically. RESULTS: At 15 years, bypass surgery rates were 75% for men and 72% for women (p = 0.91). The rates remained similar after adjustment for clinical and angiographic variables. The 15-year survival rate was 50% for men and 49% for women with initial medical treatment (p = 0.53) and 52% for men and 48% for women (p = 0.004) with initial surgical treatment, a difference similar to that for operative mortality (men 2.5%, women 5.3%, p < 0.0001). Survival was improved by bypass surgery in most subgroups, with largest relative risks for high risk patients. Relative risks were similar for men and women. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of bypass surgery did not differ between men and women. There were few differences in the survival of men and women. In general, both men and women with initial surgical treatment survived longer, although benefits were clinically and statistically significant only in those at high risk. The benefit was similar in both men and women.

Cardiac Catheterization↗

Low width of tubular bones is associated with increased risk of fragility fracture in elderly men--the MINOS study.

The risk of fragility fractures in elderly men is only partly explained by areal bone mineral density (aBMD) measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Several studies suggest the importance of bone morphology for the risk of fracture. The aim of this study was to assess the value of bone size and estimated structural parameters for the prediction of incident fractures in a large cohort of men. This study was made in 759 men aged 50-85 from the MINOS cohort. During a 90-month follow-up, 74 men sustained incident vertebral and peripheral fractures. Areal BMD was measured by DXA at femoral neck, distal radius and distal ulna. Estimates of structural bone parameters and volumetric BMD (vBMD) were derived from aBMD measured by DXA. Given the limited number of fractures, the predictive value of investigated parameters was assessed for peripheral and vertebral fractures jointly by using logistic regression. Men who sustained the fractures had, at baseline, lower aBMD (3.5-6.5%), lower bone mineral content (BMC 5.4-8.7%) and lower cortical thickness (3.5-6.9%) compared with the men without fracture. At all the three skeletal sites, aBMD, BMC, width, cortical area and thickness, cross-sectional moment of inertia (CSMI), and section modulus predicted incident fractures (O.R. = 1.28-1.92 per 1 SD decrease, P < 0.05-0.0001). Fracture risk was weakly associated with vBMD for ulna (O.R. = 1.25 per 1 SD decrease, P < 0.05) but not for femoral neck or radius. After adjustment for aBMD, bone width remained a significant predictor of fractures (O.R. = 1.37-1.48 per 1 SD decrease, P < 0.02-0.01). Men with osteopenia (BMD T score < -1) and low bone width (T score < -1) had the fracture incidence similar to that observed in men with BMD T score < -2. Bone width and aBMD of the femoral neck and radius were predictive of fractures in 49 men with the incident peripheral fractures, whereas their O.R. did not attain the level of statistical significance in 25 men with the incident vertebral fractures. Men, who had both low aBMD and low CSMI ( both T scores < -1), had the fracture risk 3.8 to 4.2 higher than the reference group (both T scores >or= -1). Men, who had both low aBMD and low section modulus (both T scores < -1), had the fracture risk 2.1 to 4.1 higher than the reference group (both T scores >or= -1). In conclusion, men who sustained a fragility fracture during a 90-month follow-up had, at baseline, lower BMC because they had narrower bones but not necessarily less dense. In elderly men, small bone width, low BMC and poor resistance to bending may increase bone fragility. Low bone width seems to be associated with an increased fracture risk in elderly men regardless of aBMD.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

Analysis of the prevalence of voiding symptoms in Maori, Pacific Island, and Caucasian New Zealand men.

OBJECTIVES: Data from a community-based sample of 515 men were used to assess the prevalence and presentation of voiding symptoms in Caucasian, Maori, and Pacific Island men in the city of Porirua, New Zealand. METHODS: A random sample, stratified by age groups of 10 years, was obtained for men 40 years and older. Two hundred men were entered into each 10-year age stratum. Frequency of symptoms and quality of life were measured using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire. Bothersomeness of symptoms was assessed using questions from the American Urological Association symptom bother index. Data were analyzed according to age and ethnic group with differences between groups measured by analysis of variance. RESULTS: Symptom score was found to increase with increasing age of subjects, with men in the 40 to 49 years age group recording a mean score (+/- SE) of 2.9 +/- 0.3, increasing to a mean score of 4.8 +/- 0.4 for men aged 50 to 59 years, 7.4 +/- 0.9 for men aged 60 to 69 years, and 7.4 +/- 0.9 for men in the 70 year and older age group. Significant symptoms, represented by a symptom score of 8 or greater, were found in 12.9% of men aged 40 to 49 years, 22.3% of men aged 50 to 59 years, 33.7% of men aged 60 to 69 years, and 33.3% in the 70 year and older age group. No difference was demonstrated in the prevalence of symptoms between Caucasian, Maori, and Pacific Island men. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having a similar prevalence of voiding symptoms to Caucasian men, few Maori or Pacific Island men seek help for their urinary symptoms. The level of understanding of the underlying disease process is poor for men of all ethnic backgrounds and emphasizes the important need for greater public awareness and education with respect to prostate disease.

Adult↗

Outcome and profile of women and men presenting with acute coronary syndromes: a report from TIMI IIIB. TIMI Investigators. Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVES: Women and men enrolled in the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) IIIB trial of unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction (MI) were evaluated to determine gender differences in characteristics and outcome. BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and men. However, the characteristics and outcome of women compared with men with unstable angina and non-Q wave MI have not been extensively studied. METHODS: The characteristics, outcomes and proportion of 497 women and 976 men with unstable angina and non-Q wave MI at the time of enrollment were compared. When these proportions were noted to be significantly different, we compared them with the 7,731-patient TIMI IIIB Registry, which represents the non-trial, screened population with these syndromes at these centers. RESULTS: For both coronary syndromes, women were older, were less frequently white, had a higher incidence of diabetes and hypertension and were receiving more cardiac medications. The 42-day rate of death and MI in TIMI IIIB was similar for women and men (7.4% vs. 7.5%). Coronary angiography revealed less severe coronary artery disease for women than for men, with absence of critical obstructions in 25% versus 16% and mean ejection fractions 62 +/- 12% versus 57 +/- 13% for women versus men (p < 0.01). Medical management failed in women as often as in men, and rates of cardiac catheterization and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft surgery were similar for women and men in the conservative strategy arm as well as in the invasive strategy arm. Women in the TIMI IIIB trial had proportionately more unstable angina than did men. The proportion of unstable angina and non-Q wave MI for women was similar in the trial and Registry. However, proportionately more men in the trial had non-Q wave MI than men in the Registry. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Women with each acute coronary syndrome are older than men and have more comorbidity. 2) The outcome with unstable angina and non-Q wave MI is related to severity of illness and not gender. 3) Mortality associated with revascularization for unstable angina and non-Q wave MI was similar for women and men. 4) The proportion of women and men enrolled with each acute coronary syndrome is different. These rates reflect both the prevalence of disease and selection bias owing to trial eligibility criteria and other identified factors.

Age Factors↗

Osteoporosis in men: prevalence and investigation.

In the past, osteoporosis was thought to affect only women; however, in the last decade it has become apparent that osteoporosis is common in men, particularly elderly men. Osteoporosis affects as many as 2 million men in the United States. Osteoporosis most commonly affects the hip and the lumbar vertebrae, but other bones, such as the radius, tibia, and ribs, may also fracture. The main feature of the etiology of the disease is that low bone mineral density results in increased susceptibility to bone fracture. The World Health Organization has defined osteoporosis as a bone mineral density T-score value >2.5 SDs below the mean observed in young adult women. Although the validity of this score for evaluating men has been questioned and it is not clear whether a male or female reference database should be used, it is nonetheless often used in this way. The disease affects men differently than women in a number of respects. It manifests itself later in life in men than in women, probably because men initially have greater bone mass. Mortality and morbidity associated with hip fractures are high in all elderly individuals, but they are substantially higher in men than in women. Unlike in women, there is an underlying cause for the osteoporosis in almost half of affected men. Thus, for elderly men, a complete history and physical examination may reveal some remediable conditions; treating these may stop further progression of the disease and prevent further morbidity or mortality. Corticosteroid therapy for arthritis or asthma is a common cause of osteoporosis in elderly men. Hypogonadism is a recognized cause of osteoporosis in men treated for carcinoma of the prostate with androgen withdrawal therapy; treatments to modify the effects of these agents on bone are available. Consumption of large amounts of alcohol will eventually result in osteoporosis in some elderly men. Moreover, alcohol can predispose confused elderly patients to falls and to fracture bones that are already osteoporotic. Hyperthyroidism is associated with a reduction in bone mineral density and an increased likelihood of bony fracture. A careful search for undiagnosed hyperthyroidism in elderly osteoporotic men may prove worthwhile. Vitamin D deficiency is common among older men and could contribute to an increase in fractures. Routine analyses of blood and biochemistry should be carried out in any older male patient with newly diagnosed osteoporosis. Dual x-ray energy absorptiometry should be performed on every new patient with newly diagnosed osteoporosis.

Bone Density↗

Oral desogestrel with testosterone pellets induces consistent suppression of spermatogenesis to azoospermia in both Caucasian and Chinese men.

BACKGROUND: Effective hormonal male contraception requires a high prevalence of spermatogenic suppression, which has proved particularly difficult in Caucasian populations. We have investigated the combination of oral desogestrel with depot testosterone in Caucasian and Chinese men. METHOD: Thirty men in Edinburgh and 36 men in Shanghai received 150 or 300 microg desogestrel p.o. daily for 24 weeks with 400 mg testosterone pellets s.c. on day 1 and at 12 weeks. RESULTS: Eight men withdrew before completing 24 weeks treatment. Testosterone concentrations remained within the normal range. Spermatogenesis was profoundly suppressed in all men. Azoospermia was achieved by a higher proportion of men in the 300 microg desogestrel group: 28/28 men versus 22/31 men (P < 0.05). All Caucasian men in the 150 microg group achieved sperm concentrations of < 1 x 10(6)/ml whereas three men in the Shanghai group maintained sperm concentrations of > 3 x 10(6)/ml. Fifteen men continued on this regimen for a subsequent 24 weeks: all remained azoospermic for the duration of treatment. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol fell by 15% in Caucasian men, but was unchanged in the Chinese men; both groups showed some weight gain. CONCLUSION: This combination of oral desogestrel with depot testosterone maintains physiological testosterone concentrations with consistent suppression of spermatogenesis to azoospermia in both Caucasian and Chinese men and therefore has many of the properties necessary for a contraceptive preparation for men.

Administration, Oral↗

A man's heart and a wife's education: a 12-year coronary heart disease mortality follow-up in Norwegian men.

BACKGROUND: Low socioeconomic status is an established risk factor for coronary heart disease. Yet relatively few studies have examined whether wives' socioeconomic status may influence men's coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors and mortality. We examined whether wives' education was associated with men's risk of CHD after taking into account the men's own educational level. METHODS: Married men were identified in a population-based cohort recruited for a cardiovascular disease screening conducted 1977-1983 in three Norwegian counties. Differences in baseline risk factors and subsequent CHD mortality by men's and their wives' education were examined. The cohort was followed through 1992. RESULTS: Wives' education was inversely related to the prevalence of men's sedentary behaviour, being overweight, having a high diastolic blood pressure, blood pressure treatment, and high total cholesterol and smoking in logistic regression analyses adjusting for men's age and education. For smoking and obesity, we observed a significant men's by wives' education interaction, with stronger inverse trends observed by wives' education among the higher-educated men. In prospective analyses, men's age-adjusted CHD mortality rates decreased with increasing level of wives' education within each stratum of men's education, with the exception of men in the lowest (7 years) education category where no trend by wives' education was observed. In additional multivariate analyses, adjusting for numerous baseline risk factors, the inverse trend in men's CHD mortality by wives' educational level remained significant only among men in the highest education category (>or=11 years of education). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that a partner's educational level could add valuable information to studies designed to characterize and measure the influence of socioeconomic status. Also, our data do not support other studies reporting that educated wives are hazardous for men's hearts.

Adult↗

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and PSA density: racial differences in men without prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Many physicians now use serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to screen for prostate cancer in asymptomatic men. Whether or not a prostate biopsy should also be performed depends on an accurate definition of what constitutes a normal PSA value. Until recently, studies conducted to establish normal serum PSA values have involved study populations that have included few African-American men. PURPOSE: We sought to compare serum PSA levels and PSA density (i.e., serum PSA level/prostate volume ratio) in African-American and white men without histologic evidence of prostate cancer. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 826 consecutive men who underwent one or more prostate biopsies at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Shreveport, LA, from January 1993 through December 1995. In this retrospective review, we recorded patient's age, race, serum PSA level, digital rectal examination result, ultrasound-determined prostate volume, indications for biopsy, and biopsy results. Data from a total of 752 consecutive men who were either white or African-American and whose indication for biopsy included a serum PSA of greater than 4.0 ng/mL and/or an abnormal digital rectal examination were analyzed. To examine possible differences in serum PSA level, PSA density, prostate volume, and patient age, the two-sided Student's t test was employed. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to determine if serum PSA levels were associated with the patient's age, race, or prostate volume in men without prostate cancer. RESULTS: Of the 752 men included in this analysis, 254 had histologic evidence of prostate cancer and 498 did not. Of the 498 men without prostate cancer, 367 (74%) men were white and 131 (26%) were black. There were no racial differences in age or calculated prostate volume. Serum PSA levels and calculated PSA density, however, were significantly (both P < .0001) higher in African-American men that in white men. A multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that race and prostate volume were independent variables associated with serum PSA level. For African-American and white men, serum PSA values of greater than 4 ng/mL were associated with prostate cancer with sensitivities of 89.5% and 81.9%, respectively, and specificities of 38.2% and 52.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Among biopsied men without histologic evidence of prostate cancer, African-Americans have a significantly higher PSA level and PSA density than similarly aged white men. IMPLICATIONS: Published criteria for normal PSA level and density have been derived primarily from white men and may not be directly applicable to other populations. Race-specific data are needed to fully optimize PSA as a tumor marker in racial populations that are at high risk for prostate cancer death.

Adult↗

Clinical characteristics and biopsy specimen features in African-American and white men without prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The reported incidence of prostate cancer is higher among African-American men than among white men. We conducted a study of African-American and white men without prostate cancer to determine whether clinical and histologic findings might be associated with racial differences in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. METHODS: From January 1990 through March 1997, 493 (59.5%) of 829 African-American men and 736 (74.1%) of 993 white men who had elevated serum PSA levels (> or = 4.0 ng/mL) and/or abnormal digital rectal examinations and who underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies were found to be without prostate cancer. Also reviewed were patients' age and race, indication for biopsy, histologic features of the prostate biopsy specimen, ultrasound-measured prostate volume, PSA density (i.e., the PSA level divided by the prostate volume), and (in some cases) serum testosterone levels. RESULTS: Among these men without prostate cancer, there were no statistically significant differences by race in the ages of the patients, their prostate volumes, or their serum testosterone levels; however, the mean serum PSA levels and PSA densities were significantly higher in African-American men than in white men (two-sided P values of .00003 and .000009, respectively). A higher proportion of African-American men than white men had inflammation in their prostate biopsy specimen, and men of both races with prostate inflammation had higher PSA values than those without inflammation. African-American men without inflammation had higher PSA values than white men without inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, African-American men without histologic evidence of prostate cancer had significantly higher PSA levels and PSA densities than similarly aged white men. This finding was not accounted for by racial differences in patients' age, serum testosterone level, or prostate volume.

Aged↗