Beta-Amyloid Levels Double When Testosterone Suppressed

CHICAGO (Reuters Health) Oct 02 - From a small study of men comes further evidence that sex hormone replacement may offer protection against Alzheimer's disease.

On Monday at the annual meeting of the American Neurological Association, Dr. Sam Gandy reported that he and colleagues at New York University studied six men undergoing androgen suppression therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. The scientists looked specifically at circulating levels of beta-amyloid.

"In each of six men, when testosterone levels were sent through the floor, plasma levels of amyloid roughly doubled over the 6-month duration of the study," Dr. Gandy said. "Of course, a doubling of circulating amyloid may not strike you as immense, but a twofold increase might be important if sustained in an individual at risk. However, I would caution against making the leap from increased amyloid levels to Alzheimer's disease at this point."

The natural but gradual decrease in testosterone as men age "may explain why Alzheimer's disease occurs in late life," Dr. Gaudy commented. "People with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's may have borderline amyloid levels until the male equivalent of menopause, andropause, reduces hormone secretion in the gonads. Brain amyloid levels may then rise enough to cause amyloid accumulation to begin."

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