Positive Association Between the Cardiometabolic Index and the Risk of Male Biochemical Androgen Deficiency in Adults

Metabolic disorders are associated with testosterone deficiency, and the cardiometabolic index (CMI) is a recently identified metabolic indicator. The relationship between male biochemical androgen deficiency (MBAD), a precursor to testosterone deficiency, and CMI remains unclear. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2016 to investigate the relationship between MBAD and CMI in men. This study included 1229 participants; among which, 209 participants had MBAD. Machine learning models identified that the importance of CMI on MBAD was in the top three. After adjusting for all covariates, we found a positive association between CMI and MBAD. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves validated this association both in age and body mass index subgroups. Trend regression showed that participants with a higher CMI tended to have a higher risk of MBAD. The positive association between CMI and MBAD persisted after multiple interpolations, validating the robustness of the results. Altogether, this study suggests that CMI exhibits a stable positive relationship with MBAD.