Testosterone Treatments Aren ’ t Linked to Heart Risks When Patients Are Carefully Monitored, Study Finds

Advertisements for treatments for “low T,” or low testosterone levels in middle-aged and older men, have led to spikes in demand. But the safety and legitimacy of those testosterone therapies hasn’t been clear. In a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, researchers provide the most conclusive evidence yet that testosterone treatments appear to be safe for the heart and are not associated with an increased risk of certain heart-related events. In the study, led by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, more than 5,200 men ages 45 to 80 were randomly assigned to apply a daily gel containing testosterone, called AndroGel and made by Abbvie, or a placebo. All of the men had low blood levels of testosterone and reported symptoms as a consequence, including fatigue, low libido, depression, reduced pubic hair, or reduced hair under the arms. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] To join the trial, the men also had to have either a history of previous heart disease or at least three risk factors that put them at higher risk of heart disease. That’s because the study was designed to measure any increased risk of heart problems among men using testosterone, and researchers hoped that testing in a more vulnerable population would reveal the strongest potential risk. After nearly two years of treatment and almost three years of follow up, the men in the testosterone-treated gr...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthscienceclimate heart health Source Type: news