Testosterone is a hormone that stimulates the development of the penis and testes. It also plays a major role in changes the body undergoes during puberty, including increased muscle size, strength and bone density; sex drive regulation; and sperm production. In women, testosterone is produced in the ovaries and has an effect on bone health, libido and reproduction. For several decades, researchers have been trying to understand the relationship between testosterone and heart health.
Testosterone and Heart Health Link
According to the Harvard Health Guide, a direct link between testosterone and heart disease has not been officially established. Because men tend to develop heart disease about 10 years earlier than women, experts suspect an association exists. In animal studies, researchers have found that testosterone causes the development of an enlarged heart. Athletes who abuse steroids that contain androgens, which include testosterone, dramatically increase their risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
Angina
In 2000, researchers from Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, UK, found that men with severe angina were better able to tolerate chest pain with a testosterone patch. Men with the condition, which is characterized by severe chest pain caused by inadequate blood supply to the heart, were given either a testosterone skin patch or placebo every day for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, men in the hormone group saw a decrease in exercise-induced myocardial ischemia, which occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked, causing a reduction in oxygen. The men also reported higher pain tolerance and improved quality of life compared to the placebo group, according to TheHeart.org.
Heart Attack
In 2010, a study researching the effects of testosterone supplementation had to be canceled six months in because volunteers were having heart attacks. A group of 209 obese, elderly men with underlying heart disease were given topical testosterone or a placebo each day. Recipients of the hormone became better at walking up stairs and performing chest and leg exercises. After six months, however, 23 patients in the hormone group, as well as five in the placebo group, experienced bad side effects, including chest pain and heart attacks, according to a Reuters report. While coincidence is certainly a consideration -- all of the men were already in poor health -- those taking testosterone were experiencing more severe side effects.
Testosterone Therapy
Testosterone therapy can increase muscle mass, improve memory and concentration, boost libido and increase energy levels. It's often used to treat age-related declines in the hormone, which is a natural part of getting older. Risks of treatment include the possibility of the body producing too many red blood cells and heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Testosterone therapy has also been linked to sleep apnea, acne, benign prostate growth, enlarged or painful breasts and testicle shrinkage. Certain types of testosterone therapy, specifically the solution, can cause chest pain as a side effect, according to Drugs.com
References
- TheHeart.org: Testosterone Patches Ease Chest Pain in Men; October 2000
- "International Journal of Andrology"; Testosterone Enanthate at a Dose of 200 mg/week Decreases HDL-Cholesterol in Men; Merriggiola MC; 1995
- Mayo Clinic: HDL Cholesterol: How to Boost Your 'Good' Cholesterol; June 2011
- Circulation; Low-Dose Transdermal Testosterone Therapy Improves Angina Threshold in Men with Chronic Stable Angina; Katherine M. English; 2000
- Mayo Clinic: Myocardial Ischemia; May 2010
- Mayo Clinic: Testosterone Therapy: Key to Male Vitality?; April 2010
