TRT and Electrocardiograph Findings

[CoastWatcher]

It has been known that endogenous testosterone levels have been negatively associated with the QTc interval in the ECG in some small studies; the effects of TRT on electrocardiograph parameters had not been evaluated in randomized trials until recently.

Effects of Testosterone Replacement on Electrocardiographic Parameters in Men: Findings from Two Randomized Trials appeared in the December 2016 issue of "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism."

• Men with pre- and post-randomization electrocardiograms (ECGs) from the Testosterone and Pain (TAP) and the Testosterone Effects on Atherosclerosis in Aging Men (TEAAM) Trials were randomized to either placebo or testosterone gel for 14 weeks (TAP) or 36 months (TEAAM).
• ECGs were performed at baseline and at the end of interventions in both trials; in the TEAAM trial ECGs were also obtained at 12 and 24 months.
• Mean total testosterone levels increased in the testosterone group of both trials. In the TAP trial, there was a nonsignificant reduction in mean QTcF in the testosterone group compared with placebo. In the TEAAM trial, testosterone attenuated the age-related increase in QTcF seen in the placebo group (effect size= &#8722;6.30 ms; P < 0.001).

The researchers concluded that Testosterone replacement attenuated the age-related increase in QTcF duration in men. But they appended the typical caveat - the clinical implications of these findings require further investigation. It should be noted that it was topical testosterone that was used in these trials (gels), rather than injectable testosterone.

https://academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...terone-Replacement-on?redirectedFrom=fulltext