FDA Warns of Blood Clots From Testosterone Therapy
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently called for manufacturers of testosterone therapy products to include a more general warning label about the potential increased risk of blood clots from testosterone therapy. Testosterone therapy products already include warnings about venous blood clots from polycythemia, which is an increase in the production of red blood cells resulting in “thicker” blood. Now these warnings will be expanded to include a risk of blood clots from testosterone therapy unrelated to polycythemia.
Additional Risks of Testosterone Therapy
This is in addition to warnings about a potential increased risk of heart attacks and strokes in testosterone therapy patients, stemming from an FDA investigation launched in January of 2014 in response to several recent studies on testosterone therapy risks. One study reported that men over 65 who used testosterone therapy had double the risk of a heart attack compared to men of the same age not using testosterone. Men younger than 65 with a family history of heart disease who used testosterone therapy had triple the heart attack risk, according to the same study.
Though the release of these studies was very recent, dozens of lawsuits against testosterone therapy manufacturers have already been filed by current and former patients who claim they were unnecessarily prescribed this therapy and suffered adverse side effects as a result. Now that the increased risk of blood clots from testosterone therapy has been illuminated, more lawsuits may follow.
What is Testosterone Therapy?
So what exactly is testosterone therapy and why is it prescribed? Testosterone therapy is the introduction of exogenous (or external) testosterone into the body to supplement what is produced naturally by the testes. There is a certain range of testosterone that medical professionals consider to be ideal or optimal, and men who fall below this range often are prescribed testosterone therapy to increase their testosterone to healthier levels.
Causes of low testosterone in men include pituitary disorders, gonadal injury, and diet and lifestyle issues. For some men experiencing low testosterone, therapy is the only way to get their levels up to normal. For others, however, there are less drastic measures that should be explored first, especially for men who have low testosterone because of a poor diet or an unhealthy lifestyle.
The Problem with Testosterone Therapy
The problem with testosterone therapy is that drug companies have marketed it as a cure-all for any male dilemma, from the gym to the boardroom to the bedroom. According to ads for testosterone therapy, anytime a man is not feeling as “manly” as he thinks he should, the problem is low testosterone and the answer is therapy. Doctors and pharmacists have jumped on board with this line of thinking and the number of prescriptions for testosterone therapy has risen in recent years.
This marketing tactic has meant that many men with no legitimate underlying testosterone issue are undergoing testosterone replacement therapy, sometimes with less-than-ideal results. The risk of blood clots from testosterone therapy alone should be sufficient to convince men that this treatment should be used only when other non-medical options have failed. There are other ways for a man to improve his performance in the gym, on the playing field, and in the bedroom without putting his health at serious risk.
Contact the American Injury Attorney Group
If you believe you have experienced blood clots from testosterone therapy, you may have grounds for legal action against the manufacturer. Contact the American Injury Attorney Group today; we can answer your questions, address your concerns, and review your case in a free, no-obligation consultation to determine whether you have a claim. If you do, we can connect you with one of our affiliated testosterone therapy attorneys. Call today.