Testosterone and Myocardial Perfusion in Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2004-04-24
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Testosterone has traditionally been regarded as a risk factor for heart disease due to the
fact that males have a higher incidence of this disease than women, at least until the
menopause. However recent studies have shown that men with low levels of testosterone may be
at an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease (furring up of the blood vessels
supplying blood to the heart). Our group has demonstrated a relaxing effect of testosterone
in isolated animal coronary arteries (blood vessels supplying blood to the heart). We have
shown that short-term testosterone administration can increase coronary artery and brachial
artery (blood vessel in the arm) blood flow and can decrease the lack of blood supply to the
heart muscle in men with coronary artery disease. These findings indicate a need for similar
but longer-term studies to investigate the possible beneficial effects of longer-term
testosterone therapy on the heart and blood vessels. Should this treatment be shown to be
beneficial to men with coronary artery disease it may be a useful additional therapy for men
with the furring up of arteries in the heart and the resulting angina.
Aim To investigate our hypothesis that testosterone can beneficially affect myocardial
perfusion, vascular reactivity, metabolic risk factors for coronary heart disease and improve
quality of life in men with low plasma testosterone levels and coronary heart disease.