Low Testosterone Linked to Possible Heart Problems in Men

Men with low testosterone may have a slightly increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease, according to a new review.

Researchers analyzed studies that looked at testosterone levels and cardiovascular disease and were published between 1970 and 2013. Testosterone is a male sex hormone involved in sex drive, sperm production and bone health. Over time, low testosterone may contribute to an increase in body fat and a loss of muscle bulk and body hair.

The review, which will be published in theJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, showed increasing evidence suggesting a connection between low testosterone levels and heart disease. The review, however, did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between low testosterone in men and heart disease risk.

Among other findings were the following:

• Treatment with testosterone-replacement therapy did not improve heart health.
• There was little evidence of a link between low testosterone and atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries that can cause heart attack and stroke.
• There was no connection between testosterone levels and heart attack risk.

“When we reviewed the existing research into testosterone and cardiovascular disease, a growing body of evidence suggested a modest connection between the two,” study lead author Dr. Johannes Ruige, of Ghent University Hospital in Belgium, said in a journal news release. “A specific [disease process] did not come forward, but perhaps less frequently investigated events may play a role, such as thrombosis, where a blood clot develops in the circulatory system, or arrhythmia, where there is a problem with the heart beat or rate.”

“Based on current findings, though, we cannot rule out that low testosterone and heart disease both result from poor overall health,” he added. Additional research is needed to confirm the relationship between the two conditions. “Gaps still remain in our understanding of low testosterone and cardiovascular disease,” Ruige said. “Ultimately, the goal is to more accurately assess the impact testosterone substitution therapy may have on the heart health of men who qualify for the treatment.” Ruige said a growing number of older and middle-aged men are being prescribed testosterone-replacement therapy, but there is debate about whether the practice is too widespread.

Can Twitter prevent heart disease?

Twitter may help prevent heart disease, according to a new Australian study.

The fast and far-reaching way that information spreads through the social network has the potential to save lives by providing education about the illness, which the Heart Foundation says kills one Australian every 12 minutes.

A group of researchers from the University of Sydney reached that conclusion after studying 15 health-focused Twitter accounts with more than one million followers, nine professional organisations and six medical journals.

‘The study showed that, through its inherent networking, social media sites like Twitter have the potential to enhance education, awareness and overall management of cardiovascular disease,’ the university said in a statement.

The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Tuesday.

‘The popularity and rise of Twitter has made it a readily available, free, and user-friendly tool to disseminate information rapidly to a diverse audience, for example, to engage health professionals and heart attack survivors,’ said lead author, Associate Professor Julie Redfern.

‘In recent years, a growing number of health professionals have been using social media to share information.

‘In a survey of 485 oncologists and physicians, 24 per cent used social media at least daily to scan or explore medical information.’

Senior author Professor Chris Semsarian pointed to recent studies which suggested Twitter also spreads key information about quitting smoking and managing epileptic seizures.

Brisk walks reduce heart attack risk

Brisk walks can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by half, research has found.

Scientists say it is the intensity rather than the duration of the exercise that counts, while an hour’s daily walk makes little difference.

The research, published in the online health journal BMJ Open, found that daily fast walks cut the risk factors for strokes and heart problems by 50 per cent, while jogging reduced them by 40 per cent.

The study looked at the health of more than 10,000 Danish men and women between the ages of 21 and 98, who were monitored for 10 years.

Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study reminds us that it is only physical activities that leave us feeling warm or breathing more heavily that are good for our health.

“Jogging or walking briskly makes the heart beat faster – exercising the heart muscle – and we should all try to do activities each day which get the blood pumping.

“So if you want to make the walk to work or to the shops part of keeping your heart healthy then try turning it from a leisurely stroll into a power walk to get the benefits.”

Low-risk people benefit from heart drugs

People at low risk of a heart attack could still benefit from taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, researchers say.

Half of all heart attacks occur in patients with a low cardiovascular risk, and a large study has shown the risk of these events is reduced when patients take drugs to lower cholesterol, University of Sydney researchers say. The researchers, from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) at the university, have questioned whether Australian guidelines should be changed to allow more people access to cholesterol-lowering drugs. NHMRC deputy director Anthony Keech and research fellow Jordan Fulcher said the safest option to lower bad cholesterol levels was to eat well, exercise and lose weight if necessary. But there was also a role for cholesterol drugs, they wrote in the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday. However, expanding the use of the drugs to low-risk people could come at a significant cost.

The two main cholesterol drugs were in the top three most dispensed Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medications in the 2010/11 financial year, the article said. Drugs targeting cholesterol were the most costly class of medication in the PBS. But the authors said there was now evidence that cholesterol-lowering drugs could help treat people at low risk of heart disease. ‘This new evidence must be urgently considered, with appropriate economic analyses, for incorporation into clinical and PBS guidelines,’ they wrote. The Heart Foundation’s clinical issues director, Dr Robert Grenfell, said more work was needed to reduce people’s heart attack risk by encouraging exercise and diet changes before giving them a pill in the absence of disease. ‘We’d be telling people who aren’t sick to take a pill for something they haven’t got,’ Dr Grenfell told AAP. ‘Active lifestyle and a healthy diet are the first steps. ‘All these things need to be done before we consider that a pill is the answer to this.’ Dr Grenfell said further research and an analysis of the cost and the benefits to patients were needed before cholesterol drugs were recommended to low-risk people.