Women with asthma have lower levels of testosterone

Researchers have found that women with asthma appear more likely to have

lower levels of testosterone than women who do not have the disease. ... In

women, levels of 'free' testosterone in the highest quartile compared to the lowest

 quartile were associated with 44 per cent lower odds of asthma

"Furthermore, obesity appears to modify the effect of such hormones on asthma

in women and men," Celedón said. For the finding published in the American

Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers conducted a study

 to examine whether sex hormones are associated with asthma in adult men and

women. They also wanted to test whether any association varies between obese

and non-obese individuals. The research team analysed information from 9,238

adults, ages 18-79, who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition

Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013-16.

Overall, nine per cent of the participants had asthma. Among women, the asthma

 rate was double that of men: 12.5 per cent vs. 6.1 per cent.The study found that

elevated levels of the sex hormones reduced the likelihood of asthma. In women,

levels of 'free' testosterone in the highest quartile compared to the lowest quartile

 were associated with 44 per cent lower odds of asthma. According to the

researchers, among obese women, levels of free testosterone in the highest

quartile compared to the lowest quartile were associated with 41 per cent lower

odds of asthma. The study also found that, in women, levels of estradiol in the

highest quartile compared to the lowest quartile were associated with 57 per cent

 lower odds of asthma.