The conclusion belongs to a new scientific investigation

Jan 30, 2014 16:30 GMT  ·  By
Testosterone therapies may up the risk of heart attacks, though more work is needed to confirm this connection
   Testosterone therapies may up the risk of heart attacks, though more work is needed to confirm this connection

A group of scientists from a California firm called Consolidated Research argues in a new study that testosterone administered to men based on medical prescriptions may increase risk of heart attacks in this population. The team presents a series of new evidence to support this serious claim.

If proven true, the results of this study could have significant implications on the use of testosterone in the United States and around the world. The hormone is used for a variety of purposes in men, such as increasing libido, in hormone replacement therapies, or for addressing feelings of general listlessness.

Researchers found that older men were more likely to suffer from the negative effects of testosterone treatments. People over 65 were affected the worst, according to an analysis of over 55,000 men. The work sought to determine whether or not increases in heart attack risks could be associated with this hormone therapy.

William Finkle, the lead author of the new paper, says that his team discovered a nearly 100 percent increase in heart attack risks in male seniors who received testosterone shots. He adds that this research was based on the partial conclusions of a 2010 study, NPR reports.

In a subgroup of the test population – made up of male seniors under the age of 65 who were previously diagnosed with heart conditions – “we […] found a two-fold increase in risk of non-fatal heart attack shortly after initiation of testosterone therapy,” the team leader explains,

Details of the new study appear in a paper published in the January 29 issue of the open-access scientific journal PLoS ONE, which is edited by the Public Library of Science. Finkle says that his team accounted for other factors that could hamper the results, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or smoking habits.

Due to societal pressures, it may be that testosterone therapies are over-prescribed as it is, meaning that men with absolutely normal levels of the hormone may take unnecessary supplements. In 2012, the popularity of such therapies got so high that testosterone sales exceeded Viagra sales.

Finkle argues that “the risk of heart attack should be added to the discussion between patients and physicians” well before the first shot is administered. He also decries the fact that the US Food and Drug Administration has yet to place any type of warning label on testosterone therapy packages.

“We have a 2010 study that was canceled because of unexpected cardiovascular risk. I think that was sufficient to justify a warning. Why withhold that from the patient?” Finkle concludes.