By Amy Orciari Herman
Testosterone supplementation is associated with a significantly increased risk for cardiovascular events among older male angiography patients, according to a retrospective study in JAMA.
Researchers examined outcomes among some 8700 veterans who'd undergone coronary angiography and had total testosterone levels below 300 ng/mL. Some 14% began testosterone therapy (usually patch or injection) at a median 1.5 years after angiography.
At 3 years, the primary outcome — a composite of all-cause mortality, MI, and ischemic stroke — had occurred in 26% of the testosterone group and 20% of the untreated group. After adjustment for coronary artery disease and other confounders, the relative risk for the primary outcome was 30% higher with testosterone therapy.
Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist with NEJM Journal Watch, commented: "Amid the onslaught of ads promoting testosterone, this study provides cautionary information — and reminds us that chasing surrogate outcomes, like testosterone levels, may actually cause harm. We need outcomes studies to understand better the safety of these products."
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