Can Low Testosterone Affect Your Heart Health?

If you ask your cardiologist if low testosterone levels can affect your health, the answer you will get may surprise you. Research studies are showing there are certain links between low-t levels and a person’s overall health. Your cardiologist can share with you important information on studies that have shown linkage between low-t and obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure issues and other health problems. It should be noted that low levels of testosterone do not actually cause these health problems and simply adding testosterone will not cure the problem. Even so, you should be aware of these conditions and how low-t levels can affect them.

What the Studies Show:

In one recent study, 2100 males (all over 45 years old) revealed the following general connections (or links) between men with low-t levels and certain other health issues.

For men who were obese, there was a 2.4 higher chance of having low-t

For men who have diabetes, there was a 2.1 higher chance of low-t

For men with high blood pressure, there was a 1.8 higher chance of low-t

As mentioned above, it should NOT be assumed that low levels of testosterone causes these problems. Your cardiologist may even suggest that it is the reverse. By that, we mean, those males who already have certain health problems may develop low-t at some point in time. Your cardiologist can also tell you that other medical conditions are also being looked at in various studies.

Low Testosterone and Heart Issues

There are three medical conditions your cardiologist wants you to know if you have low-t levels. Let’s take a look at those conditions:

Metabolic Syndrome Issues:

The first condition is known as metabolic syndrome. This particular syndrome has symptoms that include high blood sugar, obese waistlines, and unusual cholesterol levels. Your cardiologist can tell you how and why those with this condition are at a higher risk for both strokes and heart attacks. Your doctor may also tell you that males who are known to have low-t levels may be more likely to (at some point in time) develop this syndrome. Some studies have shown that those who are taking testosterone replacements are able to improve their blood sugar issues as well as reduce obesity.

Diabetes Issues:

When tested randomly, studies have shown at as many as 50 percent of those males who have diabetes also have low-t levels. Your cardiologist can tell you that this link between low-t levels and diabetes is well known. It is generally thought that men who have low-t levels are at a higher risk to develop diabetes, and that males who have diabetes have a higher risk of future lower testosterone level issues.

It should be noted that testosterone helps to use up blood sugar when it responds to insulin. In other words, those men who have low-t levels will need to produce added insulin in order to maintain normal levels of blood sugar.

Obesity Issues:

Your cardiologist can tell you about the links between obesity and heart disease. This link is well known; what is not so commonly known is the link between low testosterone levels and obesity. Generally, those men who are obese have a higher incidence of lower testosterone, and, conversely, those with low-t levels tend to be obese.

If you have questions about your heart health and low testosterone levels, see your cardiologist for a consultation.