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Researchers at the University of Durham suggest that men who grow up in more difficult conditions where there are many infectious diseases, for example, will likely have lower testosterone levels later than those who spend their childhood in healthier environments.
The study, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, challenges the theory that testosterone levels are controlled by genetics or race.
As high levels of testosterone can potentially increase the risk of prostate hypertrophy and cancer, the researchers suggest that any screening for risk profiles might have to take into account the child's environment. A man.
The study found that Bangladeshi men who grew up and lived as adults in the UK had significantly higher levels of testosterone compared to relatively affluent men who grew up and lived in Bangladesh as a "male". adults.
Bangladeshis in Britain also attained puberty at a younger age and were taller than men who lived in Bangladesh as children.
Researchers say the differences are related to energy investment because it may be possible to have high levels of testosterone if there are not many other demands placed on the body such as the fight against infections.
In environments where people are more exposed to disease or poor nutrition, developing males direct energy to survival at the cost of testosterone.
The researchers collected data from 359 men on height, weight, age of puberty and other health information as well as saliva samples to examine their testosterone levels.
They compared the following groups: men born and still residing in Bangladesh; Bangladeshi men who moved to London when they were children; Bangladeshi men who moved to the UK at adulthood; second-generation men, born in the United Kingdom, whose parents were Bangladeshi migrants; and Europeans of British origin.
"Absolute testosterone levels of a man are unlikely to relate to their ethnicity or where they live as adults, but rather reflect their environment when they were children," Kesson said. University of Durham.
Men with higher levels of testosterone are at higher risk for the potentially harmful effects of this hormone on health and aging. Very high levels may mean an increase in muscle mass, an increased risk of prostate diseases and have been linked to higher aggression.
Very low levels of testosterone in men can include lack of energy, loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. The testosterone levels of the men in the study however were all in a range that would not likely have an impact on their fertility.
"Very high and very low testosterone levels can have implications for men's health and it would be important to learn more about the circumstances of men's childhood to get a better idea of their risk factors." Says Gillian Bentley, professor at Durham University.
Aspects of male reproductive function remain variable until the age of 19 and are more flexible in the beginning rather than at the end of childhood, according to research.
However, the study suggests that in adulthood, men's testosterone levels are no longer strongly influenced by their environment.
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