In a large comparative analysis of more than 30,000 men, the University of Texas Medical Branch revealed there is no link between testosterone therapy and blood clot disorders in veins.
They also found middle and older aged men are not at higher risk for this illness with testosterone therapy.
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Blot clots in the veins which cause blockages – or venous thromoembolism (VTE) – can occur in the lungs and most commonly in the legs. It’s the third most prevalent cardiovascular illness after stroke and heart attack.
The FDA has previously put warnings on testosterone therapies, but researchers suggest there has never been hard evidence to support these warnings.
For the recent research 30,572 men over the age of 40 were enrolled in one of the largest insurance programs between 2007 and 2012. Men who were diagnosed with VTE and received either an anticoagulant drug or intravascular vena cava filter in the last 60 days. They were compared to people who were of the same age, lived in the same area, and had a diagnosis of low testosterone and any underlining pro-clotting condition.
The results showed that there was no added risk of VTE for men who were using testosterone therapy. It also did not matter how many days after VTE diagnosis took place, men could still receive testosterone therapy.
Jacques Baillargeon, study author, said, “It is important to acknowledge, for a man who has medically-diagnosed low testosterone, that there are clear risks to not receiving testosterone therapy, including osteoporosis, sexual dysfunction, increased amounts of fat tissue, decreased lean muscle mass, possible metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.”
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He added further research needs to be done to examine the long-term risks of testosterone therapy.
The discovery was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Source:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-07/uotm-usf071615.php
Emily Lunardo studied medical sociology at York University with a strong focus on the social determinants of health and mental illness. She is a registered Zumba instructor, as well as a Canfit Pro trainer, who teaches fitness classes on a weekly basis. Emily practices healthy habits in her own life as well as helps others with their own personal health goals. Emily joined Bel Marra Health as a health writer in 2013.
