A new study shows testosterone therapy does not increase heart attack risk in older people. The findings of the research contradict previous studies that showed an association between cardiac attacks and the therapy.
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston examined 25,420 Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 and above. They were treated with testosterone for up to eight years.
The team found that testosterone therapy did not raise the risk of heart attack. "Our investigation was motivated by a growing concern, in the U.S. and internationally, that testosterone therapy increases men's risk for cardiovascular disease, specifically heart attack and stroke," said Jacques Baillargeon, lead author of the study. "This concern has increased in the last few years based on the results of a clinical trial and two observational studies. It is important to note, however, that there is a large body of evidence that is consistent with our finding of no increased risk of heart attack associated with testosterone use," he said in a press release.
The study comes just two weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised testosterone products manufacturers to include a warning label about the general risk of blood clots related to polycythemia, a rare condition that happens when the red blood cell level increases abnormally because of the testosterone treatment.
FDA stated they were investigating the risk of stroke, heart attack and death in men taking FDA-approved testosterone products. "We have been monitoring this risk and decided to reassess this safety issue based on the recent publication of two separate studies that each suggested an increased risk of cardiovascular events among groups of men prescribed testosterone therapy."
Men with testosterone problems commonly suffer from symptoms such as loss of libido, depression, fatigue and reduced muscle mass.
The study was published in the July 2 issue of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.
