Steroid sex hormones and cardiovascular function in healthy males and females: A correlational study

The relationship of serum estradiol and testosterone levels to systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) was examined in healthy nonsmoking males (n=30) and females (n=22), 30–50 years of age (mean age for men=41.2, women=39.9). Postmenopausal women and women taking oral contraceptives had been excluded. Testosterone levels in women were positively correlated with SBP, DBP and HR, after removing the effects of age and body mass. Positive correlations were also found between estradiol and SBP and HR in women. No systematic relationships were found between steroid sex hormones and cardiovascular measurements in men. The findings suggest a role of steroid sex hormones in cardiovascular function of women, whereas the relationship in men is less clear.