Testosterone treatment was linked to cardiovascular events in health records
A records-based study found associations with both testosterone treatment and diagnosed deficiency. It could not determine whether treatment itself explained the higher event hazard.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Men receiving testosterone had a higher hazard of a first major cardiovascular event than controls after statistical weighting. Diagnosed testosterone deficiency was also associated with events. Because this was an observational study, it cannot establish whether treatment, underlying illness or other differences between groups explained the association.
Unmeasured obesity, smoking and physical activity could influence the results. Diagnostic coding could also affect identification of testosterone deficiency. This brief is based on the abstract.
What researchers found
First major cardiovascular event
Testosterone recipients versus controls over follow-up of unreported length: estimated event rate at a given time was 1.27 times as high among men still event-free. The interval shows uncertainty in that ratio, not absolute percentage points or cumulative risk.
What counted as an event
Researchers tracked the first occurrence of heart attack, a procedure to restore coronary blood flow, ischemic stroke or hospitalization for heart failure. The analysis examined time until that combined outcome occurred.
What statistical weighting does
The weighting accounted for measured differences, including age, diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease. This helps compare groups, but it cannot remove uncertainty from factors that were not measured in the health records.
The original publication
Association between testosterone replacement therapy and cardiovascular events in men: a retrospective propensity-weighted analysis.
Bal DS, Fidel MG, Panchendrabose K et al.
J Sex Med · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41168375
- Record checked
AI-assisted research and writing. This explains one selected publication; it is not a complete review of everything known. Our approach.
One more question, understood.
Keep track of the research you’ve explored.