TRT and Cardiovascular Event Risks: New Research Continues to Contradict Outdated Conclusions
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) has been scientifically proven to relieve many symptoms and improve the quality of life in most men suffering from hypogonadism (the medical term for low testosterone). However, some men are hesitant to seek treatment because they’ve heard there’s an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events—heart attacks, cardiac arrest, strokes, etc.
Research fails to support the relationship between TRT and cardiovascular event risk. In fact, data supporting the safety of treating Low T with supplementary testosterone, even over a longer period, continues to grow.
TRT and Cardiovascular Risk—The Latest Research
Supporting a cause-and-effect relationship between supplementary testosterone and the risk of adverse cardiovascular events is clearly difficult, because these health crises are rare enough to necessitate a vast number of subjects. However, certain types of meta-analyses are able to study individual participant data from a wide range of sources over time in order to compare a sufficient number of people to reach a possible conclusion that has broad treatment applications.
Basically, it’s possible to put a large pool of subjects together by gathering information on people, who meet the criteria you want to study, from other well-researched studies, usually randomized controlled clinical trials.
A study published in the summer of 2022 has applied this method of analysis to assess mortality and cardiovascular event outcomes when TRT was used to treat men with clinical hypogonadism for a period of 3 to 12 months.
Data was collected from more than 3,400 patients with hypogonadism from 17 clinical trials, and the rate of cardiovascular events among participants receiving testosterone treatment was roughly 7.5%. The rate of those receiving the placebo was hardly better at 7.2%—a miniscule difference.
However, balancing out that difference is the fact that fewer deaths were reported during TRT (0.4%) compared to the placebo group (0.8%).
The almost imperceptible differences between TRT groups and placebo groups across both outcome measures shows:
Scientific evidence fails to support the claim that TRT substantially increases the risk of negative cardiovascular events among short- to medium-term patients receiving supplementary testosterone.
(Read the original publication here.)
Do Experts Agree?
Jemma Hudson, researcher from the University of Aberdeen, remarked:
“Prescribing of testosterone for hypogonadism is increasing globally, but conflicting messages about its safety may have led to many patients not receiving the treatment. Ongoing studies should help to determine the longer-term safety of testosterone but, in the meantime, our results provide much-needed reassurance about its short-to-medium term safety. Our findings could have important implications for the treatment of men with hypogonadism worldwide.”
Other experts concur.
Channa N. Jayasena, MD, PhD, from Imperial College, London, in the United Kingdom, had the following to say:
“If your doctor thinks you need testosterone, be reassured that the chance of having serious side effects including heart problems is very low.”
(What if you’ve already had a heart attack? Read more here.)
Learn More About TRT
While further research is needed, this study continues to reinforce the overall research conclusion that healthy testosterone levels—normalized and maintained through a safe, ethical, and carefully monitored medical regimen—have more upside than risk.
Patients are often surprised by the potential health benefits that come with a healthy hormone balance achieved through TRT:
- Increased lean muscle production and strength
- Reduced fat tissue production
- Improved mood and stress response
- Improved bone density and strength
Over time, as Low T stops dragging you down, it’s entirely possible that you’ll discover your overall health on a definite and observable upward trajectory.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is the most effective way to restore and then maintain healthy testosterone levels for men who are chronically deficient.
