Testosterone supplements may not be as safe as previously thought. It turns out that men taking treatments for boosting low testosterone levels may actually have an increased risk of heart attacks. The findings could mean that it may be in men's best interest to not take testosterone.
The new study, published in the journal PLOS One, investigated the effects of testosterone supplements on men. It turns out that men over 65, as well as younger men with diagnosed heart disease, were at least twice as likely to have non-fatal heart attacks in the 90 days that they were prescribed testosterone medication as were men who were of the same age and health status who did not receive a hormone supplement.
That said, the new study wasn't a randomized trial. Even so, it does reveal that testosterone supplements require further studies. It's especially a concern since testosterone supplements currently carry no mention of an increased risk of heart attack on their labels or in their advertising materials, according to The New York Times.
This isn't the first evidence that testosterone supplements may cause issues for men, though. In 2010 and in November of last year, studies found that men taking testosterone, especially those who had medical issues, were more likely to suffer a range of cardiovascular "events," according to the LA Times. These events included everything from heart attack to emergency artery-clearing procedures, and occurred soon after the men began taking the supplement.
The findings reveal how important it is to understand how these supplements affect men taking them. More specifically, it reveals the need for further tests in order to assess the safety of testosterone supplements. This is particularly important since annual prescriptions in 2011 rose to 5.3 million, according to Forbes.
"This study adds an enormous amount to what is known about the risks," said Sid Wolfe of Public Citizen Health Research Group in an interview with Forbes. "It's an important breakthrough and the implications are sobering, but unfortunately, there is nothing in the current labeling or the med guides for patients."
