In a new study from Monash University, researchers found that for women aged over 70, having low testosterone levels doubles the risk of a cardiac event.
This finding reveals the potential benefits of testosterone therapies for heart diseases.
Before menopause, women’s ovaries are the primary source of testosterone circulating in the blood.
After menopause, because the ovaries stop functioning, blood testosterone is made from the hormone DHEA which comes from adrenal glands.
The conventional belief is that testosterone is bad for women’s cardiovascular system.
In the current study, the team examined the data captured in the longitudinal ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) randomized trial.
Researchers measured blood testosterone, DHEA, and estrogen concentrations in women over 70 with no prior CVD events.
They found that women who had low blood testosterone and DHEA concentrations but not low estrogen, had twice the risk of a cardiovascular event than women with higher testosterone blood levels.
Blood testosterone levels decrease with age in women from their early 20s but do not change significantly as a result of natural menopause.
However, after the age of 70 years, women have blood testosterone levels similar to those seen in young premenopausal women.
The findings suggest that people need to stop thinking about testosterone as a ‘male’ hormone that is bad for women.
It is an important human hormone for both women and men.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies about food that may harm your heart rhythm, and novel causes of irregular heart rhythm.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about two effective ways to quickly restore normal heart rhythm, and results showing that one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables per day may prevent heart disease.
The study was conducted by Rakibul M Islam et al., and published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity.
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