Study: Low testosteron, increased risk of death

Men with low testosterone levels have an increased risk of dying, mainly from cardiovascular disease (CVD). That is the outcome of a series of studies involving a total of 24,000 men from Australia, Europe and North America.

Australian scientists plowed through data from 11 different studies involving a total of 24000 men aged 49 to 76. At the start of the studies, their blood levels of a range of hormones had been measured, after which they were followed over time for at least five years. Meanwhile, those who died were counted. The Australians pieced together all the results of the studies, hit the math and lo and behold, a crystal clear result:

The risk of death from all causes was 9% and the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 32% higher for men with the lowest testosterone levels.[source]

If the blood value of testosterone was lower than 7.4 nmol/L (213 ng/dL), then there was an increased overall risk of death; if there was a value of testosterone lower than 5.3 nmol/L (153 ng/dL), then there was an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

The studies had also looked at dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the strong brother of testosterone. Of that, a U-shaped relationship with mortality risk was found: both low and high levels were associated with a greater chance of dying.

Sex Hormone Binding Globulins (SHBGs) are proteins that stick to testosterone and render it inactive. Little surprise, high SHBG levels were associated with a greater risk of death.

The results of this meta-analysis are consistent with what Ralph Moorman and I write about testosterone in our book The Testo Factor: How important the hormone is to your health is ruthlessly revealed when it is deficient. Low testosterone is often associated with cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis, declining muscle strength, increasing abdominal fat and even dementia and Alzheimer’s. Several studies also show that correcting low testosterone with hormone therapy in 40-plus men lowers overall mortality risk. (references in the book).

Text Pim Christiaans / Life Unlimited

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