Full article title: The Impact of Testosterone Therapy in Men on Cardiovascular Risk: Don’t Be Too Quick to Condemn
In this issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Morgentaler et al1 provide a timely update regarding testosterone therapy in men and cardiovascular risk. This review is important considering the recent controversy claiming increased cardiovascular risk in men receiving testosterone therapy.
Morgentaler et al identified 4 studies suggesting that testosterone therapy increases the risk of cardiovascular events, but they also identified more than 100 studies demonstrating that normal testosterone levels (and, accordingly, physiologic replacement of testosterone) provide beneficial effects to men and minimize cardiovascular risk and mortality.1-5
They also critically evaluated the 4 positive studies and noted that 2 studies had serious methodology concerns, 1 was a meta-analysis with poor inclusion criteria, and 1 was a placebo-controlled study with too few cardiovascular events to make definitive conclusions.2