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Consumption of caffeinated beverages and serum concentrations of sex steroid hormones in US men

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Abstract

Background

By modulating the levels of sex steroid hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), caffeine could be a factor in the development of several conditions in men, including prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate if caffeine consumption is associated with concentrations of sex steroid hormones and SHBG in men.

Methods

1,410 men aged 20 + years who attended the morning examination session of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–1991) were included in the analysis. Coffee and soft drink consumption was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Daily caffeine intake was estimated by multiplying caffeine content per cup times the daily frequency of coffee, tea, or soft drink consumption. Serum levels of hormones and SHBG were measured by immunoassay. Associations of frequency of beverage consumption or estimated caffeine intake with hormone levels were examined using multivariable linear regression.

Results

Coffee consumption was positively associated with SHBG concentration (p = 0.045) taking lifestyle factors into account, but mutually adjusting for testosterone and estradiol attenuated the association; no association with SHBG was observed for soft drink consumption or caffeine intake. No associations between caffeinated beverage consumption and androgen or estrogen concentrations were observed.

Conclusion

Men who drink coffee more frequently may have higher circulating SHBG concentration, but there were no consistent associations for soft drinks or caffeine intake.

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Acknowledgments

This is the 31st study from the Hormone Demonstration Program, which is supported by the Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund at Johns Hopkins.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland

    Tanja Frey & Sabine Rohrmann

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elizabeth A. Platz

  3. Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elizabeth A. Platz, Norma Kanarek & Adrian S. Dobs

  4. Department of Urology and the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elizabeth A. Platz

  5. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Norma Kanarek

  6. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Gary Bradwin

  7. Department of Endocrinology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Adrian S. Dobs

Authors
  1. Tanja Frey
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  2. Elizabeth A. Platz
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  3. Norma Kanarek
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  4. Gary Bradwin
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  5. Adrian S. Dobs
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  6. Sabine Rohrmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sabine Rohrmann.

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Frey, T., Platz, E.A., Kanarek, N. et al. Consumption of caffeinated beverages and serum concentrations of sex steroid hormones in US men. Cancer Causes Control 29, 157–166 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-017-0985-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-017-0985-9

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