- The goal of the study was to investigate the relationships between sex hormones and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death in older men.
- Low baseline testosterone levels have been linked to an increased risk of all-cause death, according to research. They also state that there is a connection between a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality and very low testosterone levels. They examined 11 trials with a total of 24,000 participants.
- According to a research that was just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, men who have low testosterone may live shorter lives.
In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 studies with over 24,000
participants, researchers from the University of Western Australia worked with
researchers from Australia, North America, and Europe.
The goal of the study was to investigate the relationships between sex hormones
and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death in older men.
They came to the conclusion that extremely low levels of testosterone are
linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular death and low baseline
(endogenous) levels are linked to an increased risk of all-cause mortality in
males.
In a statement, the researchers noted that their research makes clear what they
claimed to be earlier contradictory results on the relationship between sex
hormones and important health outcomes in older men.
Information about the research on the risk of death from low testosterone
They looked at prospective cohort studies of "community-dwelling men with
total testosterone concentrations measured using mass spectrometry and at least
five years of follow-up," which had been previously identified in a
published systematic review.
In order to comprehend the relationships between baseline hormone
concentrations (total testosterone, luteinizing hormone, sex hormone-binding
globulin, dihydrotestosterone, and estradiol) and relative risk for
cardiovascular events, cardiovascular disease deaths, and deaths from all
causes, the team examined individual patient data.
The findings indicated to the researchers that the only males who had increased
risks for all-cause death were those who had lower total testosterone concentrations.
One important discovery, they reported, was that, independent of LH
(luteinizing hormone) concentration, males with a testosterone level below 7.4
nmol/L (<213 ng/dL) were at greater risk for all-cause death.
A chemical messenger called LH circulates in the circulation, regulating the
function of certain cells or organs and having a major impact on adult
fertility and sexual development in youngsters.
According to the statistics, males who had a testosterone levels below 5.3
nmol/L (<153 mg/dL) were more likely to die from cardiovascular causes.
The meta-analysis is especially useful, according to the author of an editorial
that accompanied the paper, because of its exacting approach.
According to the researchers, this is the first study of its sort to do an IPD
meta-analysis of significant mass spectrometry-based prospective cohort
studies.Reliable Source: This approach is said to be the most precise for
measuring testosterone and is also suitable for measuring estradiol and DHT.
The researchers reanalyzed the pooled data after obtaining raw data from nine
of the included trials to conduct the IPD meta-analysis. As a result, they
said, "more rigorous testing for connections and more comprehensive
analysis of pooled data from various studies” were possible.
Response to the Research on Low Testosterone
The study's explanation for the participants' low testosterone levels was
unclear, according to Dr. Yu-Ming Ni, a cardiologist and lipidologist at
MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in
California, who spoke with Medical News Today.
Ni, who was not involved in the study, said that there "may be many
reasons for low testosterone," including obesity, liver problems,
medication interactions, and other hormonal causes. "It is unclear whether
low testosterone causes cardiovascular disease, and it would be foolish and
possibly dangerous to assume that treating low testosterone with hormone
replacement therapy will reduce heart disease until this is clarified in future
research."
According to a research mentioned by Ni in the New England Journal of Medicine,
treating hypogonadism with testosterone replacement therapy was not linked to
increased or decreased incidence of heart disease.
Thus, further research is required, according to Ni, who also noted that the
study offers intriguing information on the connection between cardiac disease
and testosterone levels.
Regarding the question of whether men should use testosterone supplements, Dr.
S. Adam Ramin, urologist, urologic oncologist, and medical director of Urology
Cancer Specialists in Los Angeles, said.
"This research validates the risks of low testosterone, which I also
discuss with my patients," Ramin, who did not participate in the study,
said to Medical News Today." Though testosterone is mostly associated with
sexual activity, it has a variety of purposes in the male body. It is a fact
that low testosterone causes decreased libido and may make erections more
difficult.
How to Deal with Low Testosterone
According to Ramin, low testosterone is also linked to weight gain, moodiness,
exhaustion, depression, and a loss of muscular mass and bone density. According
to him, low testosterone may also cause fatalities, heart attacks, and strokes.
"The majority of my elderly male patients in my clinic, who are sprightly,
mentally bright, active, independent, muscular, with strong height and posture,
and who are in their 80s and 90s, have natural testosterone levels more than
500, with some even reaching 600 to 700 levels,” said Ramin.
Additionally, he said that men may naturally increase their testosterone levels
by avoiding processed meals, sleeping for at least 6 hours per night, and
decreasing belly fat.
According to Ramin, males should drink more than three liters of water daily,
avoid alcohol as much as possible, engage in cardiovascular activity for at
least thirty to forty minutes three times a week, and eat two to four
yolk-containing eggs each week.
He said that "taking DHEA 25–75 mg per day may help" for males with
low testosterone. But, to ensure that prostate cancer is not present, it has to
be carried out under a physician's supervision.
Men may also take 2,000–4,000 IU of vitamin D3, according to Ramin. He advised
against using bioflavonoids and estrogenic compound-containing supplements if a
man had low testosterone.
