[ad_1]
Taking testosterone may seem like a good idea for an older man, but a new study suggests that the treatment could be bad news for his heart.
Men who took it had a slightly increased risk of heart attack and stroke in the early years.
Limited evidence of benefits
"Our results show that the use of [testosterone therapy] has been badociated with an increased risk of stroke, AIT [mini-strokes]Said Dr. Christel Renoux, author of the study, the Departments of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, and the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University in Montreal.
"There is little evidence on the long-term clinical benefits of [testosterone therapy] to effectively deal with slightly lower levels of [natural] testosterone levels in older men but in good health, "said Renoux. We strongly recommend that clinicians proceed with caution when planning to prescribe [testosterone therapy] and discuss potential benefits and risks with patients first. "
The team badyzed data from about 15,400 British men, aged 45 and over, with low levels of age-related testosterone.
People who were taking testosterone replacement therapy had a risk of cardiovascular events such as a heart attack, stroke, or mini-stroke 21% higher than those who did not. did not take any. This increased risk has resulted in 128 additional cardiovascular events.
However, the increased risk decreased after two years of testosterone treatment, according to the study published recently in The American Journal of Medicine.
General symptoms of aging
Additional studies should be conducted to confirm the results of this study, recommended Renoux.
"Until then, the potential cardiovascular risk of [testosterone therapy] should be weighed against the perceived and expected benefits of aging men, "she said in a press release.
While reported rates of low testosterone levels have remained stable, testosterone replacement therapy prescriptions have risen sharply over the last 20 years.
Increasingly, testosterone replacement therapy is prescribed to treat the general symptoms of aging, including fatigue and a slight decline in badual functioning.
Another finding of the study was that current use of testosterone replacement therapy was badociated with a lower risk of death regardless of the cause, whereas prior use was badociated with risk. increased.
This suggests that testosterone replacement therapy may reduce the risk of death, but it may also be due to physicians stopping therapy in men whose health status is declining, the researchers noted. .
Image credit: iStock
[ad_2]
Source link
