One year of testosterone therapy for men with low levels of the hormone does not appear to increase their risk for heart problems, British researchers found.
"We were unable to find evidence ... that testosterone increases risks of mortality or cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular [heart and/or stroke] events in the short- to medium-term in men with low testosterone," said study leader Dr. Channa Jayasena, head of andrology at Imperial College London.
As the researchers explained, testosterone increases hematocrit, which can boost the risk of blood clots (venous thromboembolism) that can travel to the heart or brain.
But the potential heart risks of testosterone therapy have been unclear, and previous clinical trials have not provided enough evidence on whether testosterone causes heart problems during a man's first year of treatment.
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