Testosterone Replacement Therapy Is Safe For The Heart

Testosterone Replacement Therapy does not Increase Heart Attack Risk.

Recently, the media began reporting some potentially bad news about Testosterone Replacement. A recent study was published by the non-profit journal, Plos One, claiming that men were more likely to experience a heart attack in the initial three months of therapy if they had previously experienced the cardiovascular disease.

Upon closer inspection, however, the study appears to be faulty. This is just one of a number of studies that have been designed questionably but garnered big headlines across television, print, and the web. Another study was released last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, concluding that Testosterone Injections and Creams increase the risk of a heart attack. That study also had numerous issues which led to faulty conclusions.

The Importance of Estrogen and Red Blood Cell Counts when Considering Testosterone

One of the most significant issues of both of these studies was that neither study measured Testosterone Levels before and after Testosterone Treatment. Another significant problem with the methodologies of both studies was that they neglected to perform essential tests before treatment was authorized.

This would have disqualified some high-risk patients from receiving the therapy, including Estrogen Testing and the Complete Blood Count.

These two tests are critical because elevated estrogen levels and red blood cell counts have been previously associated with an increased risk of complications when administering Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

These three variables: Endogenous Testosterone Production, Estrogen Production, and Red Blood Cell Count, are all tests which are necessary to determine both whether a patient qualifies for therapy or needs to suspend treatment.

As a result of these questionable studies, some believe that all patients should be informed that Testosterone Replacement Therapy increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack simply as a risk of treatment. This is one case where physicians should be more aware of the realities of Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Our doctors mean well, but they are not always specialists in every form of treatment. For this reason, it is essential to increase physicians' awareness regarding particular issues that can increase testosterone replacement risks.

High Red Blood Cell Counts Easy to Treat

It is of utmost importance that medical professionals monitor all three of these variables before and during Testosterone Replacement Therapy to minimize the health risk to the patient. If, after six months of therapy, the patient has an elevated RBC count, the physician can alter the Testosterone Dosage or simply require that the patient donate blood to decrease his RBC count, which will significantly reduce the risks of heart attack, stroke, and clotting.

Medications Available to Control Estrogen Safely

Elevated Estrogen also increases stroke and heart attack risk. If tests show that the patient is suffering from elevated Estrogen levels, there are highly effective medications that can suppress Estrogen Levels, reducing them to normal. These studies did not perform due diligence to protect their patients from the well-documented and easily preventable risks associated with Testosterone Replacement, and they got faulty data as a result.

Viagra Used by Control Patients Vastly Skews Results

In addition to these issues with the construction of the study, other issues significantly reduce the quality of the results. The study's authors have not even acknowledged the most significant problem: Some men were taking PDE5 inhibitors, and this group was compared to other patients who were not taking PDE5 medication.

Researchers found that patients that take these medications, such as Viagra and Cialis, were less likely to experience heart complications during treatment. The authors included PDE5 inhibitors in an attempt to ensure that all patients were able to be sexually active. They used PDE5 drugs to control for the improved libido associated with increased Testosterone.

What they did not acknowledge was that PDE5 inhibitors not only affect sexual function in males they also impact cardiovascular health in a number of positive ways. Two forms of PDE5 Inhibitors have been FDA-approved for hypertension treatment because these medications can reduce blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels.

The Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics recently released a study that provides robust evidence that PDE5 Inhibitors can be used as heart drugs for individuals suffering from coronary artery disease. The study also suggests that these drugs can be used to improve the health outcomes of patients suffering from heart failure.

The potential cardiovascular benefits of PDE5 Inhibitors make these drugs a terrible option to control the potential heart risks of Testosterone Replacement Therapy because men that take PDE5 drugs will have healthier hearts on average than men that do not take them, thus making Testosterone Replacement appear more dangerous than it truly is in reality.

Body of Research Suggests that Testosterone Replacement Therapy is Safe

Although this Plos One study is getting a lot of media coverage, it contradicts twenty years of research which shows that Testosterone Patches, Injections, and Creams can improve heart health by increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat while balancing both blood sugar and cholesterol.

The Journal of the American Heart Association recently released a research survey that further reduces the credibility of the Plos One article. In this review, over one hundred studies were analyzed, looking for evidence regarding how Testosterone Replacement Therapy impacts patients' cardiovascular health.

The researchers concluded that Testosterone Deficiency is powerfully linked to a number of mortality risks, including increased incidence of diabetes and obesity as well as an elevated risk of heart attack, stroke, and other dangerous cardiovascular conditions such as atherosclerosis. Researchers also discovered that the more severe the Testosterone Deficiency, the more dangerous the symptoms manifested themselves.

The literature review offers near-incontrovertible evidence that Testosterone Replacement improves heart health by relaxing the coronary arteries and helping men with heart failure to engage in physical exercise. Testosterone HRT has also been shown to reduce BMI and control blood sugar in patients suffering from diabetes, preserving heart health and reducing mortality risk.

Single Studies Are Often Unreliable: No Evidence that Testosterone HRT Endangers the Heart

Remember this the next time you hear about a single study espousing the potential dangers of Testosterone Replacement Therapy. The body of research suggests otherwise and will require robust evidence to prove otherwise.

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