Authors:

Sajal Shukla

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About Paper:

Salivary progesterone (P4) in males remains poorly categorized, despite growing evidence that biological, environmental, and demographic variables influence sex hormone patterns. Little empirical work has examined these influences on male salivary P4 levels or their stability over time. Archival data from male outpatients with cannabis use disorder (CUD; N=92) enrolled in an online cognitive behavioral therapy intervention at the Medical University of South Carolina were analyzed. Linear regression models examined trait-level correlates of (1) mean salivary P4 level per person and (2) within-person P4 variability (per-person standard deviation in P4 levels). Predictor variables included demographics (age, race, ethnicity, weight, BMI, partnered status, marital status, and fatherhood status), medication use (psychotropic medications, hormonal medications, and NSAIDs), clinical diagnoses (alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder), and substance use (quantity and frequency of cannabis use). Outcome variables were log-transformed to improve normality. Lower salivary P4 levels were found in Asian participants compared to White individuals (p=0.040). Use of hormonal medications was associated with greater day-to-day variability in salivary P4 (p=0.018). Additionally, fatherhood status was correlated to greater P4 variability (p=0.043). No other predictors were significantly linked to mean levels of P4 or P4 variability. These findings suggest that hormonal medications, even those not immediately involved in progesterone metabolic pathways, may increase variability in male salivary P4 levels. The potential influence of fatherhood status on P4 variability builds upon prior literature which has found a positive correlation between men's commitment to a relationship and the presence of patterned progesterone fluctuations [1]. Although these results should be interpreted cautiously given the modest sample size, they suggest that racial and social/relational factors along with medication status may be more relevant than clinical diagnoses or substance use when assessing salivary progesterone consistency in males.

Source:

University of Illinois Chicago

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Co-authors:

Sajal Shukla