Jul 10
7
Testosterone Gel Use in Men Linked to Heart Problems
Men who have been on testosterone gel, which is a topical gel that is massaged into the skin in specific areas of the body that will provide for maximum absorption, may actually be more prone to heart troubles than men who are not on such a testosterone replacement.
Testosterone gel is prescribed for men who have medically low levels of the male hormone testosterone.
They may suffer from hypogonadism or an array of other de-masculinizing symptoms such as a higher voice, less muscle tone since men naturally have more muscle tone due to the testosterone hormone, and loss of body hair. Women should never be on testosterone, as there are no cases where it is known that this helps women with any medical issues.
Testosterone can enhance muscle tone, increase virility and enhance other masculine characteristics that are associated with this masculine hormone and high levels of it. However, when there is too much testosterone, this abundance can lead to it’s very own set of problems.
One of them is thought to be increased risk of heart attack. Recent studies showed that men who were on the testosterone gel called Testim, were more prone to having heart trouble.
These men also tended to have higher cholesterol readings, more problems with obesity and also high blood pressure. Whether these health problems were all specifically associated with the testosterone gel or not is not quite clear, but there was a correlation between the men being on it and having higher rates of these health issues.
These types of things are often hard to gauge, because sometimes you can’t tell whether one cause the other, or vice versa, or perhaps it was a pre existing condition for these men who just so happened to also be taking testosterone for male enhancement purposes.
One researcher was careful to comment that the results of this relatively small and limited study, he felt, were not representative of the testosterone gel user population.
