Tag Archives: Testosterone replacement

Men’s Health Month: What You Need To Know About Low Testosterone

June celebrates National Men’s Health Month, an annual observance that aims to bring awareness to health issues specific to men, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health stigma, and hormone imbalances specific to men. One such condition – which can affect both men and women – is low testosterone, also known as hypogonadism.

Testosterone is responsible for many biologic functions, including the development of bones and muscles, energy metabolism, and sex drive. In males specifically, the hormone regulates hair growth, deepening of the voice, and sperm production.

Low testosterone is a hormonal disorder in which the testes do not produce enough testosterone. It is estimated that between 4 and 5 million men in the United States, or approximately 2 in 100 men, have testosterone deficiency, and its prevalence is substantially higher in older males, with nearly 40% of men aged 45 and older presenting with low levels of the hormone.

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UTMB Study Shows Testosterone Therapy Does Not Increase Heart Attack Risk

Previous research on the effects of testosterone therapy on cardiovascular outcomes has yielded inconsistent results. Jacques Baillargeon, from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (Texas, USA), and colleagues examined enrollment and claims Medicare data 25,420 Medicare beneficiaries 66 years or older treated with testosterone for up to eight years.. Men of the same age, race, Medicaid eligibility, and health status who did not receive testosterone therapy were used as a control group for comparison.   The analyses showed that testosterone therapy did not associate with an increased risk of heart attack. Further, testosterone users with a higher probability of cardiovascular problems had a lower rate of heart attacks in comparison to equivalent patients who did not receive testosterone therapy. Observing that: “Older men who were treated with intramuscular testosterone did not appear to have an increased risk of [heart attack],” the study authors submit that: “For men with high [heart attack] risk, testosterone use was modestly protective.”

For more:  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-07/uotm-uss063014.php