Higher testosterone tied to lower heart risks

Elderly men with naturally higher levels of testosterone may be less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those with lower levels of the hormone, a new study finds.

Researchers found that of 2,400 Swedish men in their 70s and 80s, those with the highest testosterone levels were less likely to have a heart attack or stroke over the next several years than men with the lowest levels.

Of 604 men in the bottom quarter for levels of the "male" hormone at the study's start, 21 percent had a heart attack, severe chest pain or stroke over roughly five years.

That compared with roughly 16 percent of the 606 men who started out with the highest testosterone levels.

But the findings, reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, do not prove that testosterone, itself, deserves the credit.

And it's too soon to recommend testosterone replacement to try to lower older men's heart risks, according to Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"Low testosterone may be a marker of other health conditions that put men at higher risk of cardiovascular disease," said Manson, who was not involved in the research.

It's known that any serious health condition can lower testosterone levels, as can obesity.

In this study, the researchers accounted for a number of health factors - including the men's weight, blood pressure and any diagnoses of diabetes, heart disease or stroke at the outset.

Older men in poor health who use testosterone gel to boost their mobility may raise their odds of high blood pressure or heart attack, new research suggests.

The problems observed were concerning enough to cause the researchers to put an early stop to the study, which is published in the July 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

However, the trial was a small one and volunteers were older men with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other problems, so whether or not these adverse events would affect the larger population of men taking testosterone therapy is still an open question.

Furthermore, the testosterone doses used in this study were higher than often seen in doctors' offices and other trials, the authors noted.

"These results were a caution flag but not a red light about stopping treatment," said Dr. Evan Hadley, director of the division of geriatrics and clinical gerontology at the U.S. National Institute on Aging, which funded the trial. "The men in this study differed from others in testosterone trials because they were older and frailer. Many of them had chronic diseases. We cannot draw broader conclusions in many different populations of men."

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SOURCES: Shalender Bhasin, M.D., chief, section of endocrinology diabetes and nutrition, Boston University School of Medicine; Evan Hadley, M.D., director, division of geriatrics and clinical gerontology, National Institute on Aging; July 1, 2010, New England Journal of Medicine