Testosterone Heart Attack Risk Highlighted by Another New Study
Another study provides evidence in support of the AndroGel lawsuits and other testosterone treatment heart attack cases that are being pursued by our product liability lawyers on behalf of men throughout the United States.
▸ Testosterone Therapy Heart Side Effects
On January 29, a study was published in the medical journal PLoS One, which indicates that men may face a significantly increased risk of heart attacks after they start using a testosterone gel, testosterone patch or other androgen replacement therapy.
Testosterone Lawyers
The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk are investigating potential testosterone lawsuits for men throughout the United States who suffered a heart attack, stroke or death after using:
- Testosterone Gel or Cream
- Testosterone Injection
- Testosterone Pills
- Testosterone Implant Pellets
The research suggests that men over the age of 65 and younger men with a history of heart disease may be twice as likely to suffer a non-fatal heart attack on testosterone when compared to men who did not receive one of the many products marketed for treatment of “Low T”.
Researchers from the National Cancer Institute, Consolidated Research, Inc. and UCLA reviewed data involving 55,593 men who received an initial prescription for low testosterone between 2006 and 2010.
The rate of heart attacks was compared to a group of similar men who received a first prescription for erectile dysfunction, with both groups having men of similar age and health status.
Among men who receive testosterone therapy, the researchers estimated that for every 1,000 men over the age of 65, about 11.52 may suffer a heart attack. That compares with a rate of only 5.27 per 1,000 men who did not use testosterone therapy. A similar increased risk was noted among men under the age of 65 who had a pre-existing diagnosis of heart disease.
This research comes after several prior studies that have raised concerns about the testosterone heart attack risk for certain men. However, this prior research has focused primarily on older men with cardiovascular problems.
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Link Between Treatments for Low Testosterone and Heart Attacks
Concerns about the risk of heart attacks from AndroGel and other testosterone therapy first started to emerge within the medical community in 2010, following a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In that study, researchers compared data involving 209 older men, with an average age of 74 who had a high prevalence of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and other health problems. The men were split into one group that received testosterone gel to apply daily and another group who received a placebo.
Due to a spike in the heart attack rate among testosterone users, this study was stopped early by the researchers after it was determined to be too dangerous to continue. While only 5 cardiovascular events were reported among the placebo group, there 23 heart attacks with the testosterone gel group at the time the study was ended early.
In November 2013, concerns were further increased after a study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which suggested that certain men may face a 29% higher rate of death, stroke and heart attack with testosterone treatment.
In that study, researchers reviewed Veterans Affairs data involving 8,700 men with an average age of 60 who underwent a coronary angiography due to plaque build up in the arteries and with total testosterone levels below 300 ng/dL, which is considered low testosterone.
Among the 1,223 veterans who received testosterone gel, testosterone patch or testosterone injections, 67 men died, 23 had a heart attack and 33 had a stroke. Researchers found the rate of adverse events was 25.7% for testosterone users, compared to a rate of 19.9% among the 7,489 men who were no using testosterone.
This latest study published this week raises concerns to new levels, since it involves a much larger population, and it is also believed to be the only research that included a large group of younger men. The medical community needs to take note about the potential heart attack risk not only among older men, but also among younger men with a history of heart disease.
Testosterone Heart Injury Lawsuits
The testoterone therapy lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential claims for users of AndroGel, AndroDerm, Axion, Testim and other testoterone replacement products who have suffered a:
- Heart Attack
- Stroke
- Sudden Death
The manufacturers of these products failed to adequately research the potential side effects of testosterone therapy, yet aggressively marketed the products in a way that resulted in the widespread over-use of these prescriptions for lifestyle reasons, among men who may have had no real medical need for testosterone treatments.
To review a potential claim with our law firm on behalf of yourself, a friend or family member, Request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
2 Comments • Add Your Comments
Allan says:
I wonder. What if testosterone tends to dissolve arterial plaque. THEN if a person with significant arterial plaque buildup were to initiate an increased testosterone regimen, he would be at risk for chunks of plaque to break loose during the dissolution process, i.e. within the first year of treatment. People using testosterone supplementation who do NOT have significant arterial plaque would NOT be subject to this form of heart attack risk and their continuing testosterone supplementation might help PREVENT arterial plaque formation from ever occurring, hence help them from ever having a heart attack. Hence, one might need an arterial plaque assessment prior to considering testosterone supplementation.
Posted on February 12, 2014 at 9:11 pm
Carolyn says:
My Husbands die from takeing this drug.Do you have any ideas what this has done to me and son.My is health is getting worse. And i want to no if there is away to get loan to help with bills.
Posted on April 4, 2017 at 9:06 pm