RELATIONSHIP OF SMOKING CESSATION AND NICOTINE GUM USE TO SALIVARY ANDROSTENEDIONE AND TESTOSTERONE IN MIDDLE-AGED MEN

Cross-sectional studies have associated cigarette smoking in men with elevated androstenedione and little net effect on other sex steroids. However, it is not clear if such findings reflect the impact of nicoti ne exposure or if sex hormone levels change following smoking cessatio n. The relationship of the reported number of cigarettes smoked per da y and salivary cotinine to salivary testosterone and androstenedione w as examined in 221 men aged 35 to 59 years at baseline and 1 year foll owing randomization into a clinical trial including a smoking-cessatio n intervention, At baseline, salivary cotinine was related to increase d salivary androstenedione and testosterone following control for age, body mass, alcohol intake, and time of day of specimen collection (pa rtial r = +.14 and +.30, P < .05 and .01, respectively). The reported number of cigarettes smoked per day was unrelated to either hormone, A t the first annual visit, there was a significant decrease in the sali vary androstenedione of men who had quite smoking and were currently u sing nicotine gum (94 v 60 pg/mL, P < .05, n = 34) and of men who had quit smoking and were not exposed to nicotine (86 v 56 pg/mL, P < .05, n = 48), whereas the salivary androstenedione of men who remained smo kers at the first annual visit was unchanged (83 v 85 pg/mL, n = 139). Salivary testosterone levels were not significantly affected by a cha nge in smoking status, These findings suggest that cigarette smoking h as a primary effect that serves to increase salivary androstenedione, whereas neither cigarette smoking nor nicotine exposure per se has a c lear effect on salivary free testosterone levels in men. Copyright (C) 1995 by W.B. Saunders Company