A recent study of testosterone medication concluded that testosterone injections lead to more heart risks than gels or patches. The study attempted to compare these different ways of using testosterone medication as part of “low-T” therapy, also known as testosterone replacement therapy. Despite the fact that testosterone injections showed to be of higher risk than other forms of the medication, that doesn’t mean that those other forms don’t also come with heart risks. This is just the latest in a growing body of data that indicates that undergoing this form of therapy can lead to negative results for some.
Details of the Testosterone Replacement Therapy Study
The study, a link to which can be found here, was recently published in a journal known as JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers from the University of North Carolina analyzed records of men who underwent testosterone replacement therapy in both the United States and in the United Kingdom. The subjects of the study were men who began testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, following 180 days without using any of these medications. Overall, this included more than 544,000 men who were at least 18 years old at the time of treatment. The researchers spent 11 months poring over the data.
More than half of the men in the study used testosterone gel. More than one-third of the men underwent testosterone injections, and less than 10 percent of the men used testosterone patches. The subjects were tracked to define how many of them suffered from adverse events that included:
- Heart attacks
- Angina
- Strokes
- Hospitalization
- Death
The researchers found that those men who underwent testosterone injections faced a 26 percent higher risk of suffering from a heart attack, angina or a stroke than those who used gels or wore a testosterone patch. Injection patients also faced a 16 percent higher risk of hospitalization and a 34 percent higher risk of death than those who used gels and patches. When compared to each other, testosterone gels and patches carried about the same risks of these events for patients who used them.
What This Testosterone Study Means
Much has been made recently of the dangers associated with testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT. This study could mean that men taking testosterone injections face an even greater danger of heart-related events than those who use it in other forms. Overall, the testosterone replacement therapy industry has come under increasingly intense scrutiny given the potential for serious and life-threatening side effects.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy Lawsuits and Your Legal Rights
A large number of AndroGel, Testim and Axiron lawsuits have been filed in recent years, and several other brands have also been blamed for causing serious health problems. If you or someone you love has undergone TRT and suffered as a result, you need to take action to protect your legal rights. Contact the testosterone side effects lawyers at Parilman & Associates today to schedule a free initial consultation. You can either email the firm or call 800-800-DRUG.