Is testosterone treatment dangerous for the cardiovascular system in older hypogonadal men?

Publication date: September 2014 Source:IJC Metabolic & Endocrine, Volume 4 Author(s): Antonio Aversa , Davide Francomano , Andrea Lenzi The relationship between testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) and men's vascular health has a great impact in the modern approach to the aging male. There is good evidence that low testosterone (T) is associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) and that ED is a strong marker for cardiovascular risk; also, TDS is frequently associated with increased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Noteworthy, the occurrence of increased levels of glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and myointimal carotid thickness may be associated with reduced T levels especially in cardiac older frail men. Screening for low T should be mandatory in high risk groups including those with type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity. The rising demand from patients to be treated for ED associated with TDS will increase the prescribing of T and facilitate future long-term studies on its impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent studies suggest warnings with regard to T prescription in older frail men, but we regret that these studies had consistent bias in inclusion criteria and statistical evaluation. Data from studies conducted in more selected populations suggest that T replacement therapy may improve multiple surrogate markers for CVD as well as reducing cardiovascular mortality. After analyzing the...
Source: IJC Metabolic and Endocrine - Category: Endocrinology Source Type: research