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| Chemical Structure of Testosterone. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
A new headline-making study warning of dire side effects from
testosterone medications is misleading and has been overhyped, says a
top hormone therapy expert.
“I’m concerned that men will stop taking testosterone because of
this new study,” Erika Schwartz, M.D., told Newsmax Health. “It
contradicts all the previous research that shows the benefits of this
form of therapy. When taken properly, the results of testosterone
therapy can be amazing.”
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The new research suggests that men who take testosterone after
undergoing a minor cardiac procedure are more likely to suffer strokes,
heart attacks, or die. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The findings directly contradict a similar study done last year, which
found that similarly aged men who took testosterone had a 50 percent
less risk of dying, noted Dr. Schwartz, a leading national expert who
has hosted a PBS special on hormone therapies.
The major difference between the two studies was the condition of
the subjects. Most of the men in the new study had serious health
problems, including a prior history of heart attack, congestive heart
failure, or confirmed coronary heart disease. Men in the previous study
were healthier.
“All this study showed was that older men with heart disease, who
are sick, are not likely to benefit from starting testosterone therapy.
It says nothing about the relatively healthy men who have benefited from
testosterone therapy and use it for prevention,” said Dr. Schwartz. “My
patients, if they start testosterone early enough, they benefit
tremendously.”
