Low testosterone levels in women associated with double the risk of cardiac events
A study led by Women’s Health Research Program leader Prof Susan Davis has challenged the traditional view that testosterone is bad for women’s hearts, showing that for women aged over 70, having low testosterone levels actually doubles the risk of a cardiac event.
Published in Lancet Healthy Longevity, the findings warrant further research investigating whether low levels of testosterone therapy may protect against cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women with low testosterone.
Using data captured in the landmark ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) randomised trial, this study measured the concentrations of three sex hormones (oestrogen, DHEA and testosterone) in women over 70 with no prior CVD events. 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.