Testosterone Therapy Can Promote Long Life in Older Men: Study

The testosterone levels in the body decreases as men become older. While testosterone replacement therapy is commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction and low sex esteem, a new study suggests that it can also increase longevity because it can reduce the risk of a person developing cardiovascular diseases.

Medical News Today reports that according to a study conducted by the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kansas, men who have decreased levels of testosterone and have sought testosterone replacement therapy are more than likely to have a reduced risk of experiencing stroke and heart diseases. However, the team points out that the therapy only becomes beneficial if the amount is adequate and used to normalize the levels.

Dr. Rajat Barua, a cardiologist and the lead author of the study, and his team have studied the research based on the data of 83,000 50-year-old veterans who are known to have undergone testosterone injections, gels, patches and the like, writes Tech Times. To make the examination plausible, the team has divided the subjects into three groups: those who have reached normal testosterone levels, those who have not reached normal testosterone levels, and those who did not receive any treatment at all.

Among the groups, the first group has shown to be 56 percent less likely to die during the follow-up period, 36 percent has shown less risk to experiencing stroke, and 24 percent has shown signs that they are less likely to experience stroke. The researchers have used several factors like the age, body mass index, cholesterol levels in the body, if there are other medical conditions, and if they are using medications like statins and beta blockers to put into consideration their overall risk and heart state.

Additionally, the second group has shown better improvement in their risk capability than that of the last group.

Most experts are still dubious about the benefits of testosterone therapy and as to whether they should use it as a treatment because there are no additional studies to clarify the possible risks or harmful effects to patients, Health Aim writes. Furthermore, the US Food and Drug Administration has even asked testosterone products to update their labels to include a possible heart attack risk warning.

Dr. Barua and his team are also suggesting that despite of the new information they have uncovered regarding the apparent testosterone benefits to an individual's cardiovascular health, further studies are still required. The team is certain that other biological factors could have affected the study, such as the body fat, level of insulin and other processes.

The study has been published in the European Heart Journal last Aug. 6.