Higher Testosterone Level May Confer 'Survival Advantage' in Older Women

A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found estrone and testosterone levels show wide variance among older women, with higher testosterone concentrations possibly indicating lower disease risk, reports Healio . The researchers analyzed sex steroid data from 6,392 women at least 70 years old participating in a randomized controlled trial of how low-dose aspirin fared against placebo on older adults without cardiovascular disease or impaired cognition. Women aged 80 to 84 years had estrone levels that were on average 9.2 percent higher versus women 70 to 74, while women at least 85 years old had average estrone levels of 11.7 percent higher versus women 70 to 74 years. Excess weight further affected sex steroid levels, with average estrone levels in older obese women being 34.1 percent higher than in women with normal weight. Meanwhile, women 80 to 84 had average testosterone levels that were 9.3 percent higher than those of women 70 to 74 years. That portion climbed to 11.3 percent for women at least 85 years old, while older women who were overweight or obese had higher testosterone levels compared to those with normal weight. "The study suggests that higher testosterone may confer a survival advantage, particularly considering that between the ages of 70 to 95 years, older women have higher testosterone levels in this age group," concluded Monash University Professor Susan R. Davis.