A case-crossover study conducted in the USA has investigated the relationship between testosterone therapy and short-term risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in men with and without hypogonadism. The study spanned across January 2011 to December 2017 and included 39,622 men (mean [SD] age, 57.4 [14.2] years): 7.8% had hypogonadism. Men in case periods (6 months, 3 months and 1 month before VTE event) were matched with themselves in the control period. In all case periods, an increased risk for VTE was seen in both men with (odds ratio [OR], 2.32; 95% CI, 1.97-2.74) and without (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.47-2.77) hypogonadism. The findings of this study therefore suggest that testosterone therapy is associated with an increased short-term risk in venous thromboembolism among all men, and should be used with caution. Read the full details of the study here.
Contributed by Australian Medication Safety Services Associate – Isabella Singh