Hello,

Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Contrary to recent headlines warning of the potential adverse cardiovascular effects of testosterone replacement, a study reported in the July 2, 2014 issue of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy not only failed to find an increased risk of heart attack in association with testosterone therapy, but even uncovered a protective benefit associated with its use among men at high risk.

A team from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston evaluated data from Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 years or older who received at least one testosterone injection over an eight year period. Among 6,355 men treated with testosterone there was a statistically insignificant 16% lower risk of heart attack requiring hospitalization in comparison with 19,065 matched controls who were never given the hormone. However, among men whose risk of a heart attack was among the top 25% of subjects, treatment with testosterone was associated with a 31% lower risk of the event in comparison with untreated subjects.