CONTEXT: Sex hormones play a key role in women's health, but little is known about lifestyle factors that influence their levels. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between cigarette smoking habits and endogenous sex hormone levels in postmenopausal women. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a cross-sectional study among 2030 postmenopausal women aged 55-81 yr from the Norfolk population of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer. All women were at least 1 yr postmenopausal and not currently using hormone replacement therapy. General linear models were used to examine the relationship between smoking habits and sex hormone levels. RESULTS: Among current smokers, the daily number of cigarettes smoked was associated with increased levels of testosterone (19-37%), free testosterone (19-34%), 17-hydroxprogesterone (17-22%), androstenedione (2-23%), SHBG (6-10%), and estradiol (-2 to 15%). Stratified analysis for body mass index revealed an interaction such that the association with SHBG was restricted to lean women, whereas a smoking-related increase in free estradiol was found only in overweight women. No clear dose-response relationship was observed for estrone, although its levels were highest in heavy smokers. Current smoking habit was associated with a larger difference in sex hormone levels than lifetime cigarette exposure as measured by pack-years. Among former smokers, sex hormones were at levels of never smokers within 1-2 yr of smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoking is associated with higher circulating levels of androgens, estrogens, 17-hydroxprogesterone, and SHBG in postmenopausal women. The almost immediate lower levels with smoking cessation may indicate that hormone related disease risks could potentially be modified by changing smoking habits.
CONTEXT: Sex hormones play a key role in women's health, but little is known about lifestyle factors that influence their levels. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between cigarette smoking habits and endogenous sex hormone levels in postmenopausal women. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a cross-sectional study among 2030 postmenopausal women aged 55-81 yr from the Norfolk population of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer. All women were at least 1 yr postmenopausal and not currently using hormone replacement therapy. General linear models were used to examine the relationship between smoking habits and sex hormone levels. RESULTS: Among current smokers, the daily number of cigarettes smoked was associated with increased levels of testosterone (19-37%), free testosterone (19-34%), 17-hydroxprogesterone (17-22%), androstenedione (2-23%), SHBG (6-10%), and estradiol (-2 to 15%). Stratified analysis for body mass index revealed an interaction such that the association with SHBG was restricted to lean women, whereas a smoking-related increase in free estradiol was found only in overweight women. No clear dose-response relationship was observed for estrone, although its levels were highest in heavy smokers. Current smoking habit was associated with a larger difference in sex hormone levels than lifetime cigarette exposure as measured by pack-years. Among former smokers, sex hormones were at levels of never smokers within 1-2 yr of smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoking is associated with higher circulating levels of androgens, estrogens, 17-hydroxprogesterone, and SHBG in postmenopausal women. The almost immediate lower levels with smoking cessation may indicate that hormone related disease risks could potentially be modified by changing smoking habits.
Authors: Heather A Ward; Petra A Wark; David C Muller; Annika Steffen; Mattias Johansson; Teresa Norat; Marc J Gunter; Kim Overvad; Christina C Dahm; Jytte Halkjær; Anne Tjønneland; Marie-Christine Boutron-Ruault; Guy Fagherazzi; Sylvie Mesrine; Paul Brennan; Heinz Freisling; Kuanrong Li; Rudolf Kaaks; Antonia Trichopoulou; Pagona Lagiou; Salavatore Panico; Sara Grioni; Rosario Tumino; Paolo Vineis; Domenico Palli; Petra H M Peeters; H Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita; Elisabete Weiderpass; Antonio Agudo; Jose Ramón Quirós; Nerea Larrañaga; Eva Ardanaz; José María Huerta; María-José Sánchez; Göran Laurell; Ingegerd Johansson; Ulla Westin; Peter Wallström; Kathryn E Bradbury; Nicholas J Wareham; Kay-Tee Khaw; Clare Pearson; Heiner Boeing; Elio Riboli Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev Date: 2017-02-09 Impact factor: 4.254
Authors: Noel T Mueller; Andrew O Odegaard; Myron D Gross; Woon Puay Koh; Jian-Min Yuan; Mark A Pereira Journal: Ann Epidemiol Date: 2012-08-31 Impact factor: 3.797
Authors: Michele L Cote; Tala Alhajj; Julie J Ruterbusch; Leslie Bernstein; Louise A Brinton; William J Blot; Chu Chen; Margery Gass; Sarah Gaussoin; Brian Henderson; Eunjung Lee; Pamela L Horn-Ross; Laurence N Kolonel; Andrew Kaunitz; Xiaolin Liang; Wanda K Nicholson; Amy B Park; Stacey Petruzella; Timothy R Rebbeck; V Wendy Setiawan; Lisa B Signorello; Michael S Simon; Noel S Weiss; Nicolas Wentzensen; Hannah P Yang; Anne Zeleniuch-Jacquotte; Sara H Olson Journal: Cancer Causes Control Date: 2014-12-23 Impact factor: 2.506
Authors: Cari M Kitahara; Martha S Linet; Laura E Beane Freeman; David P Check; Timothy R Church; Yikyung Park; Mark P Purdue; Catherine Schairer; Amy Berrington de González Journal: Cancer Causes Control Date: 2012-07-29 Impact factor: 2.506