서혜진 (한국과학기술연구원)

최만호 (한국과학기술연구원)

노종성 (한국과학기술연구원)

박승신 (서울대학교병원)

서혜진 (한국과학기술연구원)

박민정 (서울대학교병원)

김정희 (서울대학교병원)

최만호 (한국과학기술연구원)

Despite the efficacy of statin therapy in managing dyslipidemia with sex disparities, concerns remain about its impact on adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadism. Since primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with a high incidence of cardiovascular events, it may also be linked to dyslipidemia. To investigate gender differences in the impact of statins on PA patient, GC-MS was used to analyze sixteen sterols, while LC-MS was employed for twenty-two adrenal steroids. In men,  statin use showed significantly lower testosterone levels (p < 0.002) and a reduced testosterone-to-androstenedione ratio (T/A4; p < 0.003) compared to those not on statins. In contrast, there was no difference in testosterone levels in women (p = 0.863), whereas the T/A4 ratio was increased (p < 0.007). In addition, statins had a significant impact on cholesterol biosynthesis in men (p < 1 ´ 10^-14 - 10^-20 for precursors vs. p < 1 ´ 10^-13 for cholesterol), but not in women (p < 1 ´ 10^-8 - 10^-19 for precursors vs. p < 1 ´ 10^-6 for cholesterol). These results suggest that statin therapy may differentially affect steroid metabolism in men and women with PA, highlighting the need for further research to determine if these effects are disease-specific.

​