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FRIDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In mice, high levels of the male sex hormone testosterone may play an important role in the spread of disease, according to Penn State researchers.

Previous studies have linked testosterone to immune system suppression and found that males experience more bouts of disease and are responsible for more disease transmission than females. But it's not clear why males are more likely to spread disease.

"We know that testosterone makes males more susceptible to disease. We wanted to find out if it impacts their behavior as well and how that increases their ability to transmit disease," Daniel Grear, a doctoral student in ecology, said in a university news release. "Our plan was to raise the testosterone levels in wild mice and measure the disease risk they posed to the population."

Wild mice at different sites were trapped and received either testosterone implants, sham implants, or no implants. All the sites were trapped twice a week for six weeks before and after treatment. Recapture data showed that contact among all mice significantly increased when testosterone-treated mice were present.

"These findings suggest that even if some individuals in a population have high levels of testosterone, they can impact the behavior of those around, and drive the transmission of diseases transmitted by close contact such as the respiratory pathogen bordetella, Grear said.

The study was presented Aug. 8 at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America.

More information

The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia has more about testosterone.

MONDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- One in five men in their 40s has had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in the past year, and young black men are more likely than young white men to have undergone the test, a new analysis shows.

The findings, published in the Sept. 15 issue of Cancer, should help experts as they reassess prostate cancer screening recommendations.

Most groups recommended men with no specific risk of prostate cancer discuss with their doctor whether to get tested around age 50. The American Cancer Society recommends annual testing, starting at age 45 for blacks and men with an immediate relative with prostate cancer. The association recommends testing start at 40 for men with two or more first-degree relatives with prostate cancer.

Still, most major medical organizations say not enough evidence exists to recommend routine prostate cancer screening using PSA or digital rectal exam (DRE) for most men.

While the results of the new analysis are somewhat reassuring about doctors recommending screening to black men who are at a greater risk for prostate cancer, the study authors noted that PSA screening in this group is still below acceptable levels. The study found only about one in three black men reported having a PSA test in the past year.

The survey, based on a 2002 survey of 58,511 U.S. men aged 40 and above, also found that younger Hispanic men were more likely to undergo PSA testing than younger white, non-Hispanic men. The likelihood of having a PSA test also increased with obesity, as well as having a higher household income and higher education level.

The study also found health insurance coverage and an ongoing relationship with a physician were also strongly tied to whether one had a recent PSA test.

"Our study is the first to specifically examine PSA screening in younger men, which provides an important assessment of quality of care, especially for high-risk groups," the authors wrote. "Further investigation will be required to understand the impact of new risk-stratification strategies, with particular focus on the policy implications of potentially large increases in health-care resource use."

More information

The American Cancer Society has more about prostate cancer  .

(HealthDay News) -- While risk factors, age and family history play a role in a man's health, your daily habits and health regimen also have a major impact on how healthy you are.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these preventive health guidelines for men:

• Eat healthy foods. Maintain a diet that's low in fat and salt, and rich in fruits and vegetables.
• Consume only moderate amounts of alcohol and caffeine, and don't smoke.
• Have regular dental and vision checkups.
• Get regular exercise for 30 minutes to 40 minutes, three to five days per week.
• Protect your skin with sunscreen any time you are outside.
• Guard against hearing loss by wearing ear protection when exposed to loud noise.
• Take safety precautions whenever you can: wear a seatbelt, practice safe sex, and wear protective gear when playing sports.