Study: Testosterone Therapy Reduces Cardiac Risk in Older Men

Testosterone replacement therapy, used to return testosterone to normal levels, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in elderly, androgen-deficient men with coronary artery disease, according to a recent study from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah.

To conduct their study, researchers followed 755 men aged 58 to 78 years with severe coronary artery disease being treated at Intermountain Healthcare hospitals.
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Patients were assigned to 1 of 3 groups receiving various doses of testosterone administered via injection or gel.

After 1 year of follow-up, 64 of the patients not taking testosterone experienced an adverse cardiovascular event—including strokes, heart attacks, or death—whereas 12 patients taking medium doses and 9 taking high doses of testosterone had an adverse event.

After a 3-year follow-up, the same pattern was noted: 125 patients not taking testosterone, 38 patients taking medium doses, and 22 patients taking high doses had adverse cardiovascular events.

These findings confirm a previous study from Intermountain Healthcare, which found that testosterone therapy did not increase the risk of cardiovascular events in men with low testosterone levels and no history of heart disease.

"The study shows that using testosterone replacement therapy to increase testosterone to normal levels in androgen-deficient men doesn't increase their risk of a serious heart attack or stroke," researchers concluded. "That was the case even in the highest-risk men—those with known pre-existing heart disease."

The research team presented their findings at the American College of Cardiology’s 65th Annual Scientific Session on Sunday, April 3, 2016.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

New study finds testosterone supplementation reduces heart attack and stroke risk in men with heart disease [news release]. Salt Lake City, UT: Intermountain Healthcare; April 3, 2016. https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news/2016/04/testosterone-supplementation-reduces-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk-in-men-with-heart-disease/. Accessed April 4, 2016.