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The Rapid City Journal - 4/10/2017

My husband, 76, is on testosterone therapy and says he feels great. But I heard there was a new study that was negative about the side effects of the therapy. What's the real deal? -- Gladys F., Plano, Texas

The news that you're wondering about was actually a series of seven coordinated studies published in JAMA that involved 12 academic medical centers. They looked at the impact of testosterone therapy in hundreds of men 65 and older who had measurably low levels of the hormone. (About 20 percent of men over 60 have diagnosable low testosterone.)

The findings: One less-than-positive conclusion was that cognitive impairment was not improved at all for these guys with testosterone therapy. Also, guys taking the supplements saw an increase in noncalcified plaques in the coronary artery, which could be risk for a future heart attack, angina or stroke.

On the plus side: Researchers found that the men gained bone strength and density in their spine and hips. This may reduce the risk of often life-altering fractures -- did you know osteoporosis affects about 25 percent of men on Medicare? Hemoglobin levels also went up in men with low testosterone levels and anemia. And sexual function, activity and desire improved over the course of a year.

So the benefits and risks all depend on your husband's overall health, his goals for taking testosterone, if he was really deficient (low testosterone is considered below 275ng/dL), and how the supplements make him feel.

Also, make sure, since blood clots are a risk when taking testosterone (just like with estrogen and progesterone), that he talks with his doctor about the benefits of taking a low-dose aspirin in the morning and at night. Our tip: If his physician doesn't discuss this with him, he might consider getting another doc.

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