Testosterone therapy for "low T" carries risk: endocrinologists

By Kathleen Raven NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Older men considering taking testosterone for low libido, fatigue, irritability or muscle loss should be made aware of the heart-related risks of testosterone therapy, according to a statement from the Endocrine Society. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved testosterone products only for hypogonadism, when the testicles do not produce enough testosterone. “Testosterone isn’t approved for age-related conditions and age-related decline in testosterone levels,” said statement co-author Dr. Shalender Bhasin of Harvard Medical School in Boston. Past studies have found most U.S. men receiving testosterone therapy don’t have documented testosterone measurements, Bhasin said.