Low levels of testosterone lead to early death

Low levels of testosterone have been associated with an increased risk of premature death from heart disease and all causes, according to a new research.

The finding, however, refuted the claim that testosterone is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

From Timesofindia.indiatimes.com:

Researchers base their findings on 930 men, all of whom had coronary artery heart disease, and had been referred to a specialist heart centre between 2000 and 2002.

Their heart health was then tracked for around 7 years.

On referral, low testosterone was relatively common. One in four of the men was classified as having low testosterone, using measurements of either bioavailable testosterone (bio-T) - available for tissues to use - of under 2.6 mmol/l or total testosterone (TT) of under 8.1 mmol/l.

These measures indicate clinically defined testosterone deficiency, referred to as hypogonadism, as opposed to a tailing off in levels of the hormone as a result of ageing.

During the monitoring period almost twice as many men with low testosterone died as did those with normal levels. One in five (41) of those with low testosterone died, compared with one in eight (12pc) of those with normal levels.

The study has been published online in Heart.