A new study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has found that testosterone—a hormone found in higher levels in men—may make heart attack damage worse by increasing inflammation.
The research, published in Nature Communications, helps explain why men often suffer more severe heart damage than women after a heart attack.
How testosterone affects heart attack recovery
A heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart is blocked, causing damage to the heart muscle.
Afterward, the body launches an inflammatory response, sending white blood cells to the heart to help with healing. However, this response can sometimes do more harm than good.
One type of white blood cell, called neutrophils, plays a major role in increasing heart injury after a heart attack. In experiments with mice, researchers found that male mice had more neutrophils in their blood than female mice in the days following a heart attack.
Further investigation revealed that testosterone speeds up the release of neutrophils from the bone marrow, increasing inflammation and worsening heart damage.
Professor Åsa Tivesten, a senior physician and lead researcher of the study, explained:
“We see that testosterone strengthens the inflammatory response in male mice, leading to more heart damage. It clearly plays a role in making inflammation worse after a heart attack.”
The study also looked at data from human patients who took part in a clinical trial. In this trial, heart attack patients were given tocilizumab, an anti-inflammatory drug. The results showed that the drug lowered neutrophil levels and reduced heart damage, with a much stronger effect in men than in women.
This finding suggests that treating inflammation could be particularly important for men after a heart attack.
Professor Tivesten emphasized the importance of studying sex differences in medicine:
“Our study shows that testosterone affects neutrophils in a way that was previously unknown. It also highlights why research and healthcare need to consider biological differences between men and women. If we ignore these differences, treatments may be less effective—especially for women, who are often underrepresented in studies.”
Why this research matters
This study provides new insights into how hormones like testosterone influence heart attack recovery. It also supports ongoing research into anti-inflammatory treatments for heart disease. By understanding these biological differences, doctors may be able to develop better, more personalized treatments for both men and women after a heart attack.
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The research findings can be found in Nature Communications.
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