What Are the Risks of Using Testosterone Therapy to Delay Normal Aging?

What Are the Risks of Using Testosterone Therapy to Delay Normal Aging?

Testosterone therapy carries several risks, including:

• Worsening sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts.
• Causing acne or other skin reactions.
• Stimulating noncancerous growth of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and the growth of existing prostate cancer.
• Enlarging breasts.
• Limiting sperm production or causing testicles to shrink.
• Stimulating too much red blood cell production, which increases the risk of forming a blood clot. The clot could break loose and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, blocking blood flow (pulmonary embolism).

Additionally, some studies suggest that testosterone therapy might increase your risk of heart disease. More research is needed.