Heart Attack After Testosterone Replacement Medication?
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating the risk of cardiovascular damage related to testosterone products. On January 31, 2014 the FDA issued an alert about its new investigation of the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in men taking FDA-approved testosterone products. The safety of these testosterone replacement products are being reevaluated based upon recently published studies that suggest an increased risk of cardiovascular problems among men who have been administered prescribed testosterone therapy.
Researchers have found that that there may be cardiovascular risks associated with testosterone replacement medications including the following popular brands:
Androgel
Testim
Axiron
Fortesta
From 2001 to 2011, the number of men taking testosterone therapy tripled. According to a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine study, only half of men taking testosterone therapy had really been diagnosed with hypogonadism, which causes very low hormone levels. Some of these medications have increasingly been marketed as lifestyle products.
Studies have shown that testosterone therapy may be linked to an increased risk of heart complications. Researchers in a November 2013 published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found a 30% increased risk of cardiac emergencies when comparing patients on testosterone medications. Most recently, a January 2014 study that included 56,000 men showed that testosterone therapy tripled the risk of heart attack in younger men with heart disease and doubled the risk of heart attack in men over 65.
The testosterone therapy industry has turned into amultibillion industry with more than 5.3 million prescriptions sold in 2011, five times the amount in 2000. Pharmaceutical drug manufacturers are responsible for informing people of all negative effects and risks associated with their medications. If people are not provided this information, they cannot make the best choices about their health.
If you or a man you know has suffered heart attack or other adverse cardiac effects as a result of taking testosterone therapy, you should consult with an attorney to explore your legal rights. Colling Gilbert Wright is committed to holding drug manufacturers accountable for such aggressive marketing without adequate warnings to the unwitting public.
Contact us today for a free consultation. There is no obligation.