Just saw this trending on Yahoo and found a few articles:
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/testosterone-linked-heart-risks-men-study-article-1.1507645
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-05/testosterone-drugs-raise-heart-risk-in-1-billion-market.html
This makes me especially wary because I've been concerned about my own heart issues for a while. Nothing major that I know of, but once I get insurance or some sort of income I plan on getting myself checked out because of what a doctor told me at en ER visit earlier this year.
This is really disappointing for me, though.
Thoughts?
The theory of an alleged increase of the risk of cardiovascular issues with testosterone treatment is nothing new. Part of most "informed consent" documentation includes the statement that the person seeking HRT acknowledges that testosterone may increase the risk of heart disease.
I think that it just revolves around the concept that men, even cis-men, seem to be more inclined towards such issues. I don't really have any thoughts about it - there are some diseases that seem to have a disproportionate inclination towards a specific sex. To me, it's just part of life.
I have a heart condition that is irrelevant to T and I live with it the same way that I would do if I were born in the correct body. It didn't stop me from wanting to start T nor did it stop my doctor from prescribing it for me. It's a risk that myself and a great many other FTMs are willing to take as the benefits outweigh the risks. For others, I'm sure that they feel the opposite and would rather not take T for medical concerns. That is their prerogative.
To be honest, from what I know from studying medicine, it seems pretty bogus to me. Increased risk of heart problems is a given, it does happen because guys are more at risk. T increases cholesterol, and RBC and lowers the good fats and raises the bad.
The way I look at it, it's not gaining a risk, it's having the risk I was meant to have. I have the risks my brother has. To let the issue of going on T be affected by the risk factors all guys face anyway seemed silly to me. I remember reading the forms I had to sign thinking, "Obviously I'm fine with this! It's the risk factors I should have always had! If I'd been born the right sex for my gender in the first place, then I'd have those risk factors already!"
It's important to note that it's nothing definite, it's only risk factors, and when it comes to T the risk factors are in relation to the increase in blood pressure, cholesterol, RBC, lipid changes, etc. These are all increases that can be minimised by simply being a healthy weight, eating healthy and doing a little exercise.