Testosterone and the Cardiovascular System: A Comprehensive Review of the Basic Science Literature

A n increasing number of elderly men are receiving exogenous testosterone to treat hypogonadism, low libido, and general weakness. The impact of testosterone on the cardiovascular system is controversial. Elderly men are typically at higher risk for adverse cardiovascular events than age-matched women, and one study suggested that exogenous testosterone was associated with an increase in adverse cardiovascular events in this population. In contrast, other clinical studies suggest that testosterone is beneficial to the cardiovascular system and that low levels of testosterone negatively affect the cardiovascular system. Because of this controversy, we sought to determine the current status of basic science studies that have examined the effects of testosterone on the cardiovascular system in experimental models.