Testosterone Does Not Promote Atherosclerosis or Improved Sex Life in Older Men

Testosterone replacement therapy has been touted by many manufacturers as a panacea for failing sexual function in older men as well as a treatment for a host of age-related diseases. Testosterone supplementation has come under scrutiny after some studies have shown that the therapy increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. Shalender Bhasin and colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston are the first to report that testosterone therapy has no increased risk of producing progressive atherosclerosis. The study was reported in the August 11, 2015, edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Testosterone Therapy Increased The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease In Older Men

Source: HEALTH AND WELLNESS BLOG INDIA

The researchers examined the effects of a 7.5 gram dose of 1 percent testosterone on a group of 156 men that were 60 years of age and older for three years. An equal number of men of the same age received a placebo. The average increase in testosterone brought testosterone levels to between 500 and 900 nanograms per deciliter in the men that received testosterone. Progression of atherosclerosis was measured in the thickening of the carotid artery and the build up of calcium in the carotid artery because an increase in atherosclerosis in the carotid artery can lead to stroke and death. No difference was found in the progression of atherosclerosis in the two groups of men.

Both groups of men reported equivalent lack of improvement in sexual function, a desire for sex, and any increased level of intimacy. An increase in the number of red blood cells was seen in the group of men that used testosterone. Improved red blood cell function is one of the promised benefits of testosterone therapy. The researchers are urgent in their report that their research does not eliminate testosterone therapy as a cause for increased risk of cardiovascular disease in men over 60 years of age.

Testosterone Therapy Can Boost Sex Life In Older Men

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