Study Links Testosterone Therapy to 3.8% Heart Event Rate in Postmenopausal Women
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Nov 1
Study Links Testosterone Therapy to 3.8% Heart Event Rate in Postmenopausal Women
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 1
Summary
More than 6,000 postmenopausal women were analyzed, and 3.8% of testosterone users had a first cardiovascular event versus 0.5% of nonusers.
The events included heart attack, stroke and heart failure, and the findings were presented at the 2026 annual meeting of The Menopause Society.
Doctors said the gap is large enough to warrant attention, but the study was observational and cannot prove testosterone caused the higher risk.
Experts said women considering testosterone should be assessed for heart history, blood pressure, cholesterol and metabolic health, with careful dosing and ongoing monitoring if treatment is used.
The findings add a safety warning to rising interest in testosterone for postmenopausal libido and sexual health, where benefits may still exist for carefully selected patients.