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Testosterone therapy may reduce risk for CVD
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Testosterone therapy appears to restore normal lipid levels and may reduce the risk for CVD in hypogonadal men, according to a recent report published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
Researchers observed the effects of testosterone treatment in 255 men aged 33 to 69 years. All had subnormal testosterone levels and at least mild symptoms of testosterone deficiency. Participants received treatment with parenteral testosterone undecanoate at baseline and 6 weeks and every 12 weeks for a period of up to 5 years.
Men treated with testosterone therapy experienced a restoration of testosterone levels, along with gradual reduction in total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides, and an increase in HDL (P<.0001 for all).
“In addition to improving their cholesterol levels, we found that the testosterone treatment resulted in marked reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well, suggesting amelioration of hypertension,” Abdulmaged M. Traish, MBA, PhD, professor of biochemistry and urology at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a press release.
Participants also experienced significant reductions in levels of blood glucose and HbA1c (P<.0001 for both). The researchers said this may suggest testosterone treatment can improve insulin sensitivity and hyperglycemia control. C-reactive protein, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were also reduced, indicating a reduction in inflammation responses (P<.0001 for all).
“These data are congruent with our previous work, in which we reported that long-term testosterone resulted in a gradual decline in weight and waist circumference, and strongly suggests that testosterone therapy in hypogonadal men may prove useful in reducing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases,” Traish stated in the release.
Disclosure: See the full study for a list of relevant financial disclosures.
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