Is testosterone really the new catalyst for cardiac risk? Should people stop using testosterone? This controversy has been in the air for the past several months but new research is now supporting the low chances for Testosterone Cardiac Risk.

FDA Warning

In early March of this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a warning about the possible risks of stroke and myocardial infarcation (MI) amid men being treated with testosterone-replacement therapy. Due to these warnings, the FDA started an investigation regarding the relationship and probability of testosterone cardiac risks associated with this therapy and based their findings on the basis of two studies. Several studies ensued as a result of the strong public concern for the correlation between cardiac risk and testosterone levels.

The Studies Conducted

The first study was conducted in 150 clinics and 15 hospitals with a total of 7245 men with low testosterone levels. The study actually refuted the original theory of Testosterone Cardiac Risk. The findings concluded that the rate of a cardiovascular event-which included MI, stroke, or death- was 5.5% among those who received the testosterone therapy. Interestingly, there was a slight increase to 6.7% for those who did not receive any testosterone therapy. After taking into consideration for baseline differences between patients that were treated with this therapy and those who weren’t, the study concluded that the cardiac testosterone risk was not statistically significant.

Another study was underway that used a different approach. It combined the results from multiple studies in an effort to increase power. With 29 studies and more than 122,000 men, researchers deduced that there was no significant risk associated with the testosterone therapy and adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Testosterone Cardiac Risk – Is there really one?

Despite the numerous study, it was difficult to support the new controversy of Testosterone Cardiac Risk. This is due to the fact that testosterone, in any form-including a gel, pills, or an injection- did not increase the changes of testosterone related cardiac risks, such as a stroke, heart attack, or sudden cardiac linked death. Phew! With testosterone out of the way, at least there’s one less contributor to the silent killer. Nonetheless, cardiac risk poses a great threat for all of us which is why it is crucial to maintain a normal blood pressure, cholesterol, and stay healthy!