Testosterone and life expectancy: no link found

Testosterone is denied the ability to prolong life
Kirill Stasevich, Compulenta

Testosterone can indeed prevent the exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases in old age, but its "rejuvenating" effect is very limited: the hormone does not affect other causes of death.

Some time ago, there was evidence that testosterone prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases. He was immediately called the new "source of eternal youth", considering that with the help of testosterone it is possible to overcome other age–related ailments - and generally increase life expectancy.

New results obtained by physiologists from the University of Western Australia may disappoint those who had such high hopes for testosterone.

Researchers have followed more than 3,500 elderly men since 1996. All of them were over 70, while those who received hormone therapy for one reason or another were excluded from the sample. Scientists compared testosterone levels with causes of death and life expectancy. According to them, testosterone levels are indeed associated with cardiovascular diseases, but, alas, it does not affect life expectancy. The increased content of the hormone reduces the likelihood of death from heart problems, but this only means that the cause of death will be another disease.

An article with research results (Hyde et al., Low Free Testosterone Predicts Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease But Not Other Causes: The Health in Men Study) is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Sex hormones, which include testosterone, are of great importance in maintaining health. However, it is too early to talk about their therapeutic possibilities, especially in relation to such global things as the fight against aging and increasing the life span. Indeed, men with low testosterone levels are more likely to die from cardiovascular diseases, but the hormone does not affect other causes of death. Moreover, we do not know anything about whether it does not lead to premature death itself if we start taking it in the hope of improving the heart.

Apparently, there really are no universal "sources of eternal youth" in nature. As for testosterone, it will be possible to speak with confidence about its therapeutic effect only after no less large-scale clinical trials.

Prepared based on the materials of the University of Western Australia:
Study refutes testosterone as 'fountain of youth'.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru24.10.2011