Testosterone Therapy Helps Cardiovascular Health

While men with low testosterone levels reported improved sex drive, mood and energy levels after they received TRT, the benefits in lowering risks of Michigan and death is only applicable for participants who have normal testosterone levels.

To assess the safety and effectiveness of testosterone treatment, Bhasin and his colleagues enrolled 308 men older than 60 with testosterone levels in the low or low-normal range, or about what you’d expect in normally aging males.

Testosterone therapy may not be as bad for men’s heart health as previously thought, but it doesn’t seem to turn back time on their sex lives either, a new trial shows.

The results are contrary to many study findings that have linked the supplements with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

The study included 83,010 male veterans who did not have a history of myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke and were given TRT between December 1999 and May 2014.

Medical News Today reports that according to a study conducted by the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kansas, men who have decreased levels of testosterone and have sought testosterone replacement therapy are more than likely to have a reduced risk of experiencing stroke and heart diseases. It was found that treated men were 56 percent less inclined to kick the bucket amid the subsequent period, 24 percent more averse to endure a heart assault, and 36 percent less inclined to have a stroke.

Testosterone is a hormone that acts as a “fountain of youth” in some ways for men.

“This is the first study to demonstrate that significant benefit is observed only if the dose is adequate to normalize the testosterone levels”, Rajat S. Barua, a cardiologist who is a co-author of the paper, said in a statement.

Men lose testosterone as they age, leading to numerous health risks and problems. These groups were followed up at an average of 4.6 to 6.2 years.

The researchers stated that despite the latest revelations they have uncovered, the apparent benefits derived from testosterone treat to heart attack and stroke is yet to be fully understood. “The mechanisms for these results stay speculative”, they wrote.

The researchers found that the rates of subclinical atherosclerosis progression, as measured by changes in common carotid artery intima-media thickness or coronary artery calcium, did not differ significantly between men assigned to the testosterone or placebo groups.

Still, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for men who have extremely low testosterone due to testicular or pituitary issues. But the potential factors include body fat, insulin sensitivity, blood platelets, lipids, and other biological pathways.