The growing use of popular testosterone drugs to treat men with low testosterone continues to be a subject of controversy in the medical community.
A growing number of aging men are turning to testosterone drugs like Androgel to fight off low libido levels, decreased muscle mass and weight gain.
But some recent studies have linked the use of such drugs with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
In January, the Food and Drug Administration began reviewing the safety of the drugs after a 45,000 patient study suggested testosterone therapy could double the risk of heart attack in men 65 and older.
But Vice president of medical affairs for Cayuga Medical Center Dr. David Evelyn said the evidence showing the linkage is still uncertain.
“It’s very hard to say there’s a definite causal link, but I think it points out this is something we need to do more studies on,” Dr. Evelyn said. “Potentially, there may be some risk there we don’t quite understand. We need to look at this further.”
Last month, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen called for a bold warning label on the drugs.
Whether or not the FDA will act on it remains to be seen.
