Testosterone therapy raises heart risk

Older men should recognize and accept the fact that it is only natural they can't have the same levels of hormones as younger men. Use of any hormone can be a risk, accoding to new study.

The new study released on Wednesday found that testosterone treatments indicated to build muscle mass in older men increased heart risk among others in those with poor mobility.

The study reported online in the New England Journal of Medicine was aborted after six months because people who used a hormone gel on their shoulders or upper arms daily were found much more likely to suffer many heart, breathing and skin conditions than those using a placebo.

The study involved 209 elderly people at an average age of 74 with poor mobility. Those subjects likely had other health conditions like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol prior to the study. 

The study was intended to examine the effect of testosterone therapy on these subjects.

Researchers found those who received the testosterone gel improved their strength and boosted their mobility. But the benefits came with risks, which led to the premature termination of the study.

Of the subjects, 23 men in the testosterone group suffered a number of health conditions like chest pain, heart attack and fainting,  compared to just five in the control group. One person in the study group died probably of a heart attack.

In the three months after the study was halted, men who received testosterone gel still experienced serious side effects including life-threatening side effects.

Testosterone is not approved to treat older men with poor mobility although it is indicated to treat other patients, according to a report by Reuters.

Dr. Shalender Bhasin of the Boston University School of Medicine, author of the study, warned that use of testosterone in older people with poor mobility is dangerous.

Many studies seem to promote use of testosterone as they found low levels of testosterone are associated with incease risk of cardiovascular disease.

Francomano D. and colleagues published a study this year in Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis saying that low testosterone might contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The current study demonstrated that use of exogenous, or naturally identical hormone, is highly risky.

By Jimmy Downs