HIGH TESTOSTERONE PROTECTS HEART OF ELDERLY

In the Oct 11th issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the swedish workers, led by Dr Claes Ohlsson of the University of Gotenberg, showed that elderly males with high testosterone levels have fewer cardiac events over a 5 year follow-up. They study male testosterone levels in 2,416 males aged 69-81yrs and followed them up through the central Swedish registry. These males were part of the MrOs ( Osteoporotic Fractures in Men study ) study. After 5 years follow-up, there were 485 cardiac events. The males in the highest quartile for serum testosterone, had the significantly lower rates of CV events.
This study is interesting, because previously, there were studies that showed that low testosterone levels were associated with less CV events.
The other problem with testosterone is the measurement. Measurement of free testosterone is cumbersome and even normal levels vary, and sometimes widely, so that it is not the easiest hormone to study. The easier measurement is sex hormone binding globulin levels SHBG ). But SHBG levels do not correlate so well with CV events.
So although elderly males may be happy that the most "male" they are at older age, the more they are cardio-protected, this is but one of numerous study on this topic and not all the data is consistent.
The other popular treatment is to inject male androgenic steroids. Somehow, this has not been shown to be cardio-protective. The best is still male free endogenous testosterone., the type that makes you a MAN, if you know what I mean.