An updated review on the risks of Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Authors

Cody W. Harrington, University of LynchburgFollow

Specialty

Internal Medicine

Advisor

Mary Walton

Abstract

The increase in prescription testosterone over the last decade has drawn attention to the potential risk of adverse cardiovascular events and the association of testosterone with prostate cancer. Literature has failed to demonstrate the associated cardiovascular risk with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), with studies suggesting that it may be cardioprotective. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American College of Endocrinology's position remains that no evidence suggests TRT is cardioprotective or cardio-destructive. The Food and Drug Administration’s findings were inconclusive but require testosterone manufacturers to label products with possible cardiovascular risk and mandated clinical trials for conclusive evidence. Additionally, the literature does not show a significant correlation of TRT causing prostate cancer, also suggesting that men successfully treated for prostate cancer can safely use TRT with close biochemical monitoring. There have been no published, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical studies to directly evaluate the relationship between testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and cardiovascular risk or TRT and prostate cancer.

Recommended Citation

Harrington CW. An updated review on the risks of Testosterone Replacement Therapy. University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository. 2023; 5(1).