Hormonal
Testosterone replacement therapy in middle-aged and older men significantly increases the risk of elevated hematocrit (>50%) and prostate events compared to placebo.
If you are an older man considering testosterone therapy, expect your blood thickness (hematocrit) and prostate markers (PSA) to rise. You must commit to regular blood tests and prostate exams. The risk of heart attacks or death does not appear to increase significantly, but the risk of thick blood and prostate issues does.
The combined rate of all prostate events was significantly greater in testosterone-treated men than in placebo-treated men (OR = 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–2.95)... Testosterone-treated men were nearly four times as likely to have hematocrit >50% as placebo-treated men (OR = 3.69, 95% CI, 1.82–7.51).
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of 19 randomized, placebo-controlled trials provides high-quality aggregate evidence, though heterogeneity exists.
Source
Adverse Events Associated With Testosterone Replacement in Middle-Aged and Older Men: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trials
Olga M. Calof et al. · The Journals of Gerontology Series A · 2005
DOI 10.1093/gerona/60.11.1451
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