A new study from Intermountain Medical Centre in Salt Lake City, UT has shown that testosterone replacement prevents heart attacks in men.
Since last year the FDA required that manufacturers of all approved testosterone products add labels outlining the coronary risks of the testosterone supplementation. This seems to be in stark contrast to the findings of this March 2016 study and many other studies around the world showing a heart protective effect of testosterone replacement.
Study: testosterone replacement prevents heart attacks in men
755 male patients between the ages of 58 and 78 were recruited January 1, 1996, to December 31, 2011 into the study. They all had severe hardening of the arteries of the heart. They also were deficient for testosterone as their blood tests showed. They were followed up for an average of more than 3 years.
Three groups received different dosages of testosterone injections or testosterone gel. One group was the placebo group who did not receive any testosterone. The second group received a medium dose of testosterone and the third group high doses.
Result after one year of testosterone replacement: 64 patients of the placebo group had major heart attacks or deaths. The medium group had only 12 cases of heart attacks and the high dose testosterone group had 9 cases.
After 3 years of follow-up the placebo group sustained 125 major heart attacks, while 38 occurred in the medium group and 22 in the group on high testosterone replacement doses.
One of the investigators, Dr. Muhlestein said:” Although this study indicates that hypo-androgenic men with coronary artery disease might actually be protected by testosterone replacement, this is an observational study that doesn’t provide enough evidence to justify changing treatment recommendations”. This study confirmed a similar 2015 study from the same institution where men without a prior history of a heart attack with low testosterone levels did not show adverse effects by testosterone replacement.
Testosterone Replacement Prevents Heart Attacks
Conclusion
In this study of older men who were testosterone deficient it was shown that testosterone treatment in two doses (medium and high) did not worsen the condition of the hearts in these patients. Quite to the contrary of the statement of the FDA it protected their hearts from further damage. This makes sense, as it is known that the heart muscle contains a lot of testosterone receptors. When they are stimulated by testosterone, they help to protect the heart. In Europe testosterone deficient men have received testosterone replacement for decades, in anti-aging circles as well. It is about time that the heart protective effect of testosterone is recognized in North America!
