More Bad T News
In addition to dealing with the link between testosterone and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and prostate cancer, the “T” pushers got even more bad news this week – but only about certain patients getting testosterone replacement therapy (“TRT”).
The bad news comes from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. A research study conducted there suggests that TRT can damage the brain, leading to a greater risk of Alzheimer's Disease – but only in certain men of European descent who are suffering from elevated oxidative stress. This is a condition in which there is a greater production of free radicals than antioxidants. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules known to cause damage to living cells.
Consumption of certain fresh fruits and vegetables containing antioxidants can stave off the harmful effects of free radicals, but the UNT study did not say whether or not this measure would make a difference in these Caucasian men undergoing TRT.
The interesting thing about the UNT study is that these deleterious effects on the brain do not appear to occur in Mexican-American men. The reason, researchers hypothesize, is that men of Mexican ancestry produce more endogenous antioxidants (that is to say, antioxidants produced by their own bodies) than Caucasian men.
It is not unusual for ethnicity to play a role in physical health and disease susceptibility. For example, sickle-cell anemia predominantly affects persons of West African ancestry, Tay-Sachs disease (a nerve disorder) is found mainly among Jews of European ancestry. Sometimes, these disorders are specific to one family; one of the most famous examples is hemophilia, which affected male members of Queen Victoria's line. Conversely, a person's ethnic background may furnish some protection from certain diseases or conditions.
This seems to be the case for Mexican-American men when it comes to TRT. Dr. Rebecca Cunningham, an assistant professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, says, “I would tell Caucasian men to be cautious about taking testosterone, especially if their oxidative stress levels are high.” There are tests that can determine if a patient is at risk for this condition – but unfortunately, very few men anxious to “T it up” are being tested before starting on TRT.
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