[Testosterone deficiency: an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease]

Serum testosterone levels and gonad function decline with the aging of males. Large-scale epidemiological investigations, mechanism researches and clinical studies conducted in recent years have shown that physiological androgens are critical for the protection of the cardiovascular system. Testosterone deficiency in aging males is associated with several cardiovascular risk factors which include hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, thrombogenic and fibrinolytic dysfunction and inflammation. It can also lead to endothelial and vascular dysfunction, accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis and increase the morbidity of cardio-vascular disease.