Researchers have concluded in a study of testosterone gel that this treatment does not thicken artery walls nor does it improve the quality of life for patients. Thickening of artery walls can lead to heart problems. The quality of life for the subjects who took part in this study was measured by way of several medical variables including sexual drive and performance. The researchers stated that much more data would be needed to specifically evaluate testosterone-related heart risks, as this was merely a study to analyze the possible progression of the thickening of artery walls for men who underwent this form of therapy.
About the Study
The study, a link to which can be found here, was published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA. Researchers from several universities including Harvard collaborated on this work. The subjects were 308 men who were at least 60 years old. Each of these men had either low or low-normal testosterone levels. 156 of the men were given testosterone gel on a daily basis for a period of three years, and the other 152 men were given a daily placebo. The researchers reached two conclusions:
- There was no significant difference between the two groups of men in terms of the thickening of their arterial walls near the heart.
- There was no significant difference between the two groups of men in terms of their health-related quality of life.
The researchers specifically made mention of the fact that this study was not meant to determine whether or not testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, causes heart attacks. In their conclusion, the researchers stated that, “[b]ecause this trial was only powered to evaluate atherosclerosis progression, these findings should not be interpreted as establishing cardiovascular safety of testosterone use in older men.”
About Testosterone Drugs and Heart Attacks
This study comes on the heels of several others that have been published in recent years that do conclude that older men taking testosterone medications face a higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular events. One such study indicated that this risk was double for these men as compared to the general population. This study seems to show that these testosterone-related heart problems may not be the result of a thickening of the arteries.
About Testosterone Replacement Therapy Lawsuits
Given the information that exists regarding these drugs and the risks people incur when using them, it should come as no surprise that a growing number of testosterone replacement therapy lawsuits have been filed across the United States. This is a multi-billion-dollar industry in the United States, and people who have been harmed as a result of these drugs need to make sure that they obtain legal help before attempting to stand up for their rights. If this includes you or someone you love, contact the testosterone replacement therapy lawyers at Parilman & Associates today to schedule a free initial consultation. You can either email the firm or call 800-800-DRUG.
