Testosterone injections were uniquely associated with short-term risk of acute cardio- and cerebrovascular events in older adult men following injection receipt, a recent study found. Researchers conducted a case-crossover analysis comparing injection testosterone exposure in the 7 days prior to an outcome event to referent windows in the past to estimate the acute association of cardiovascular outcomes with the receipt of testosterone injections. They identified adult male testosterone users hospitalized with myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or a composite of MI, and stroke or unstable angina in US commercial claims (2000-2013) (n=2,898) or Medicare (2007-2010) databases (n=339). They found:

• Injected testosterone was associated with an increased risk of adverse events (composite outcome of MI, stroke, or unstable angina) in the immediate post-injection period for the older, Medicare population only: commercial insurance, odds ratios (OR)=0.98; Medicare, OR= 1.45.
• This association was either greatly attenuated or not present when evaluating receipt of any testosterone dosage forms (injection, gel, patch, implant): commercial insurance, OR=1.01; Medicare, OR=1.26.