The Impact of Visceral Adiposity on Testosterone Levels in American Adult Men: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

BACKGROUND: Testosterone decline and deficiency importantly affect men’s health, and may be associated with excessive deposition of visceral adipose tissue. This study was conducted to explore the association between visceral adiposity index (VAI) and testosterone level. MATERIAL/METHODS: A total of 1551 participants from the NHANES 2013–2013 cycle and 2015–2016 cycle were selected for our analyses. The VAI index was calculated based on waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and serum testosterone was measured by isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Multivariable adjusted linear and logistic regression were utilized to investigate the associations between VAI index and testosterone level and testosterone deficiency, respectively. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed to identify sensitive populations. RESULTS: A total of 1551 participants with mean VAI index of 1.95±0.08 were eligible for our analysis. After adjusting for all potential cofounders, men with higher VAI index displayed a lower level of total testosterone level (β: −11.74, 95% CI: −17.33, −6.15, P<0.0001), and higher risk of testosterone deficiency (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.40, P=0.0022). Comparing to VAI quartile 1, quartile 4 showed the most decreased testosterone level (β: −94.59, 95% CI: −130.04, −59.14, P<0.0001), and highest risk of testosterone deficiency (OR: 5.07, 95% CI: 2.41,10.63, P<0.0001). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that VAI index was strongly related to testosterone level and testosterone deficiency in aged and obese men. CONCLUSIONS: Men with higher VAI index displayed lower testosterone levels and higher risk of testosterone deficiency, especially in aged men and obese men.