Thread: Testosterone May Reduce Severity of Heart Disease

Testosterone is an important hormone for maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system. This is an association we are now seeing continually in the medical literature. One of the most recent studies was published in the Asia Journal of Andrology, and examines the relationship between the testosterone level in men and their severity of coronary artery disease. The researchers looked at more than 800 individuals that underwent elective coronary angiography, which is a diagnostic test using special dyes and x-rays to image the arteries. It is often used to help detect blockages and plaque buildup., or access the severity of disease.

The men also had their testosterone levels measured, and were divided into three groups based on the result. The groups were then compared to each other with regard to their coronary angiography readings. The investigators found a strong (statistically significant) relationship between the level of testosterone and the severity of heart disease. However, the association was negative, meaning that men with the highest testosterone level (upper 1/3 of subjects) had better angiography readings. Likewise, the group with the lowest testosterone demonstrated the most advanced disease. While this study did not attempt to establish causality, it certainly does invite further investigation into the potential health benefits of testosterone and hormone replacement therapy.




Study referenced: Testosterone is negatively associated with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis in men. Li L, Guo CY et al. Asian J Androl. 2012 Oct 8.

Testosterone Helps Protect Healthy Arteries in Men

Clinical studies supporting a health-protective role of testosterone in aging men are growing in number. This latest study examines the relationship between the serum bioavailable testosterone level and calcification within the arteries. Calcification, or the placement of calcium deposits along the artery lining, is an indicator of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). This change shows up easily during CT scan, which facilitates data collection. The men studied for this paper did not have any apparent history of cardiovascular or metabolic disease. Therefore, this group may better represent an average healthy male population, many of whom may not know they are developing atherosclerosis. This study involved 291 non-obese male participants, with an average age of 52 years. Biomarkers measured included total testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, bioavailable testosterone, free testosterone, and coronary calcium score. After controlling for age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise status, blood pressure, heart rate, C-reactive protein, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, hypertension medication, and hyperlipidemia medication(s), only a strong (inverse) relationship remained between bioavailable testosterone and the concentration of calcium within the arteries. In this study, higher bioavailable testosterone was associated with less calcium deposited within the arteries, and thus a lower risk of developing atherosclerosis. More research is needed to determine the exact nature of any protective role bioavailable testosterone may have with regard to artery calcification, and further, how long-term testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) may improve the CVD risks of otherwise healthy aging men. At this point, however, it can be said that the positive data on testosterone and the aging male heart has been highly consistent. All clinicians that deal with male patients should be taking note of these studies.


Source: Inverse relationship between bioavailable testosterone and subclinical coronary artery calcification in non-obese Korean men. Park BJ, Shim JY, Lee YJ, Lee JH, Lee HR. Asian J Androl. 2012 Apr 23. doi: 10.1038/aja.2012.19.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy & Prostate Cancer Detection




Researchers in the United Kingdom recently completed an updated audit of the prostate safety data from the UK Androgen Study (UKAS). This was a long-term multicenter investigation into the treatment of age-related testosterone deficiency (hypogonadism) in men. The data was taken from a total of 1,365 men under treatment, with a mean age of 55 years (ranging from 28 to 87). The subjects were taking popular HRT medications including Testogel (transdermal testosterone), Restandol (oral testosterone undecanoate), mesterolone (Proviron), and testosterone pellet implants for up to 20 years. Fourteen cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed during the study, an average of 1 case every 212 treatment years. This was determined to be the same rate as expected for the general population.


Testosterone replacement therapy had no statistically significant effect on PSA levels or the likelihood of a positive cancer diagnosis in this study. The researchers here made an additional conclusion in this study, however. While hormone therapy did not influence the rate of cancer in these men, it did have a secondary benefit. By placing these men in the regular care of physicians, including periodic prostate examinations, detection of the disease was earlier than expected (mean 6.3 years). In all 14 cases, the cancers appeared to be localized and suitable for removal. The paper closes by suggesting that the monitoring that comes with male HRT may improve prostate cancer detection and treatment rates. This is worth considering whenever physicians and patients discuss the potential risks and benefits of HRT.


Source: J Sex Med 2012 Jun 6 [ePub]