Do High Levels of Testosterone Reduce Blood Pressure?
Written by Ben Bunting: BA, PGCert. (Sport & Exercise Nutrition) // British Army Physical Training Instructor // S&C Coach.
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Testosterone relaxes coronary arteries by opening a large-conductance potassium channel. Testosterone may also reduce blood pressure in men who have Hypogonadism, a condition associated with an increased risk of heart attack. Nevertheless, the question of whether high levels of testosterone decrease blood pressure remains a controversial one. In this article, we discuss some of the issues surrounding this controversial hormone.
High levels of testosterone reduce blood pressure
High levels of testosterone have been linked to a reduction in blood pressure in both men and women. Several studies have been published on the subject. One study in life science in 1991, by Ganten U, studied the effects of anti-androgens on spontaneously hypertensive rats. Another study, by Teoh H, reported that 17beta-estradiol (an anti-androgen) decreased blood pressure in rats.
In a large study, male and female subjects with hypertension were compared to those with normal levels of testosterone. The researchers studied the effect of testosterone on blood pressure, and found that it reduced systolic blood pressure. The results of this study were not consistent across all sex, although the association was observed. The results were not placebo-controlled, and some of the results were not consistent when age and body mass index were controlled. However, the findings indicate that testosterone is a viable treatment option for high blood pressure.
Men with low levels of testosterone are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. High blood pressure and arterial stiffness are both common among men with low testosterone. Low testosterone is also associated with changes in sexual function, including fewer spontaneous erections during sleep and infertility. Additionally, men with low testosterone are more likely to develop diabetes later in life. And, if you're already suffering from high blood pressure, it's essential to treat it before it progresses to a more serious state.
While testosterone can reduce blood pressure, its effects on cardiometabolic risk factors are complicated and varied among populations. While it may improve treadmill performance in men with heart disease, it's important to monitor patients closely for cardiovascular complications. A recent study conducted at the Mayo Clinic looked at 30 placebo-controlled testosterone trials. Only six of them reported adverse clinical outcomes. While testosterone did not seem to increase the incidence of cardiovascular events, it did improve the exercise tolerance of treated men and resulted in a 26 second increase in average over placebo treatment.
Although testosterone is not directly related to hypertension, it may play a role in target organ damage. The study was conducted on matched groups, with 141 postmenopausal women and 161 men aged 45-64 years. The vascular function and sex hormone levels of both groups were assessed using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Quantitative data was analyzed by multiple regression analysis and independent Student's t-test.
When properly administered, testosterone helps to lower blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular complications. When properly prescribed, it can also help manage a wide range of medical conditions, such as heart disease. Although it is not a cure-all, it's worth exploring. If your doctor determines that testosterone is reducing your blood pressure, the treatment will be more effective. But remember, taking the right steps will help you avoid side effects and improve your quality of life.
Hypogonadism is a risk factor for heart attack
While functional hypogonadism has no direct link to cardiovascular disease, men with low testosterone levels may be more at risk for a heart attack. Researchers have examined whether testosterone therapy may help these men reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease. They compared testosterone treatment among men with and without hypogonadism. Interestingly, the men receiving testosterone therapy were less likely to suffer a heart attack.
The occurrence of CVD is related to decreased endogenous testosterone levels. This may be because lower endogenous testosterone levels indicate increased CVD risk. However, there are some differences between men with and without hypogonadism. Although there is a high correlation between lowered testosterone concentrations and CVD risk, these differences are not conclusive. Researchers need to examine more studies before concluding whether hypogonadism is a risk factor for heart attacks.
Although it is still unknown exactly how hypogonadism increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, some research suggests that it may play a role in advancing the onset of atherosclerosis. Several studies suggest that low testosterone may accelerate the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. For example, researchers have linked low testosterone levels with different surrogate end points of atherosclerosis. These studies have shown that testosterone levels are associated with a variety of clinical indicators and mechanistic processes.
Testosterone relaxes coronary arteries by opening large-conductance potassium channel
There is growing evidence that high levels of testosterone may have beneficial effects on heart health. Testosterone is required for normal vascular function, and a wide variety of animal studies suggest that testosterone promotes vasodilation. In pre-contracted swine LADs, prostaglandin served as a contractile agent. Testosterone was administered in combination with a Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate solution and a substance known as L-NAME, which antagonised the nitric oxide synthase enzyme. Both testosterone and L-NAME increased vascular relaxation percentage in a dose-dependent manner.
In addition to activating voltage-operated potassium channels, testosterone also inhibits calcium influx through SOCCs. Inhibiting this influx is possible because testosterone increases cGMP production, which can blunt the response to prostaglandin F2a. This mechanism may explain the reduced vasodilator response in elderly men and women.
Similarly, taurine relaxes human internal mammary artery. The human internal mammary artery is the standard graft used in coronary artery bypass grafting. Although the effect of taurine on human internal mammary artery grafting is unclear, the mechanism may be similar. Taurine relaxes coronary arteries by opening a large-conductance potassium channel.
In addition to relaxing coronary arteries, it may also protect heart function after a heart attack or in patients with heart failure. Estradiol produced from testosterone may also have a protective effect. However, it is not clear whether testosterone directly impacts cardiovascular health. Some studies suggest that testosterone levels are a biomarker for chronic disease and poor health. However, other studies have failed to establish a causal relationship between low levels of testosterone and cardiovascular disease. Further, high levels of testosterone may increase cardiovascular risk in elderly patients.
In previous studies, high levels of testosterone reduced the risk of heart failure by relaxing coronary arteries through opening a large-conductance potassium channel. This was also associated with lower incidence of cardiovascular disease in women. This suggests that the use of testosterone therapy for cardiovascular health could have an important role in reducing CVD. This research shows that high levels of testosterone may have protective effects for patients with hypertension.
Interestingly, this study also found that the level of testosterone was negatively related to total cholesterol and triglycerides. However, high levels of testosterone were positively related to high-density lipoprotein, while a negative association was found between free testosterone and total cholesterol and triglycerides. Interestingly, there was no significant association between free testosterone and age or BMI, although it was associated with free testosterone.
Additionally, a significant relationship was observed between CAVI and CVD incidence. The authors used a multivariate logistic regression to determine the relationship between CAVI and CAD incidence. However, the data they provided are not definitive. Further research is needed to confirm the findings. However, a significant positive association between testosterone and cardiovascular disease is possible. Androgens reduce blood pressure by relaxing coronary arteries by opening a large-conductance potassium channel.
