Thaindian News

Sydney, Oct 23 (IANS) Ageing men who look to testosterone for a bit of rejuvenation might be in for disappointment to know that it is not all that effective.

Researchers from the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Health and Ageing confirmed earlier findings suggesting that men with low testosterone were more likely to die of cardiovascular disease.

But Zoë Hyde from Centre for Health and Ageing, who led the study, said low testosterone levels were not linked to death from other diseases, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reports.

“Previous studies suggested that men with low testosterone levels are likely to die earlier, and some researchers have argued that testosterone therapy might improve longevity,” Hyde said, according to a university statement.

“However, our results suggest that low testosterone is a risk factor only for cardiovascular disease, and do not provide support for more widespread use of testosterone.”

Testosterone therapy is available only for men whose levels have been found to be low on testing and are experiencing symptoms of testosterone deficiency.

Hyde said it was premature to recommend testosterone therapy to prevent cardiovascular disease.

“Although our study suggests that preventing testosterone deficiency might have some health benefits, we need to conduct clinical trials of testosterone therapy to see if these findings are real, and to also properly evaluate the risks of therapy,” she said.

Hyde said sex hormones played an important role in maintaining health and quality of life, particularly as their concentrations changed over time.