Testosterone Therapy Increases Artery Plaque Build Up Which Can Cause A Heart Attack

Ben BA(Hons), PGCert

Recent studies of testosterone therapy in older men have discovered that it reduced anemia yet therapy did not improve cognitive function.

However, testosterone therapy was associated with an large increase of plaque in the arteries according to a recent study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and JAMA Internal Medicine.

The clinically controlled trials were set between 2010 and 2014 in academic medical centers, of which seven trials were conducted.

The trials were established to evaluate further the risks and benefits of testosterone therapy and used a testosterone gel therapy including 788 men who were over 65 and had medically recognized low levels of testosterone.

It was first established from the studies that testosterone therapy increased sexual function.

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Further studies were conducted to establish the relationship of therapy with cognitive function, anemia and coronary artery plaque.

What the researchers discovered was that hemoglobin levels were elevated by a considerably margin in 54% of men with unexplained anemia and 52% with anemia from known causes. This compared with just 15% and 12% from the control group.

Further still, it was noted that there was no increase of cardiovascular events for those treated with testosterone therapy compared to the controlled placebo group.

Another benefit included increased bone density for the therapy group as well.

However, it was noted that testosterone therapy while having its benefits, the noted increase in artery plaque causing them to narrow. This buildup of plaque, a condition called atherosclerosis, can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.