Testosterone Lowers Stroke Risk

At the American Academy of Neurologys 54th Annual Meeting, researchers presented a study showing that a higher level of testosterone is related to a lower risk of stroke in men.

Researchers have long suspected a link between sex hormones and the risk of cardiovascular disease among men and women. Though previous studies have shown that people under hormone replacement therapy have reduced risks of heart disease, so far no studies have been done to determine the role of hormones generated naturally.

The study, which went on for up to 8 years, was conducted by researchers from the Netherlands. 6,700 men and women had their estrogen and testosterone levels measured and comparisons were made between those who suffered a stroke and those who did not. The end results were also adjusted for other factors such as smoking and high blood pressure. The results show that higher levels of testosterone in men led to a lower risk of stroke, but only for those men who did not smoke. However, natural estrogen levels in men or women did not affect stroke risk.