Does boosting testosterone hurt the heart?
Cardiovascular safety of testosterone therapy—Insights from the TRAVERSE trial and beyond: A position statement of the European Expert Panel for Testosterone Research
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Giving low-testosterone men the right amount of testosterone doesn't make their hearts have more heart attacks or strokes, helps fix low blood count, and slightly improves good cholesterol — but might cause a tiny uptick in irregular heartbeat.
Surprising Findings
Testosterone therapy did not increase heart attacks or strokes in men already at high cardiovascular risk.
For over a decade, the FDA warned that testosterone could raise heart attack risk, based on weak observational studies. This large, rigorous trial found the opposite—even in the most vulnerable group.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re a man over 45 with fatigue, low libido, and confirmed low testosterone via blood tests, talk to your doctor about whether testosterone therapy could help your energy, blood count, and heart health.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Giving low-testosterone men the right amount of testosterone doesn't make their hearts have more heart attacks or strokes, helps fix low blood count, and slightly improves good cholesterol — but might cause a tiny uptick in irregular heartbeat.
Surprising Findings
Testosterone therapy did not increase heart attacks or strokes in men already at high cardiovascular risk.
For over a decade, the FDA warned that testosterone could raise heart attack risk, based on weak observational studies. This large, rigorous trial found the opposite—even in the most vulnerable group.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re a man over 45 with fatigue, low libido, and confirmed low testosterone via blood tests, talk to your doctor about whether testosterone therapy could help your energy, blood count, and heart health.
Publication
Journal
Andrology
Year
2025
Authors
Michael Zitzmann, G. Rastrelli, R. D. Murray, D. Edwards, Yacov Reisman, P. Rao, Alexander Sahi, T. H. Jones, A. Ferlin, E. Armeni, Emiliano Corpas, J. Cremers, J. David, S. Arver, Leen Antonio, G. Corona
Related Content
Claims (7)
Giving men the right amount of testosterone to bring their levels back to normal doesn’t make their heart worse — and might even help their metabolism and blood sugar.
For men with low testosterone, taking testosterone therapy doesn't seem to make heart failure or heart-related death more likely—even though these men were already at high risk for heart problems.
For men with low testosterone, taking testosterone therapy might slightly raise the number of red blood cells, but it doesn’t seem to make blood clots or lung blockages any more likely over almost two years of use.
For men with low testosterone who are at high risk for heart problems, taking testosterone therapy doesn’t seem to make heart attacks, strokes, or heart-related deaths more likely over about two years, according to a big study.
For men with low testosterone, giving them testosterone therapy can help fix their low red blood cell count and make them less anemic, without raising their risk of heart problems.