According to the findings of new research, some men are prescribed powerful testosterone replacement therapy drugs like AndroGel and Testim without actually having their testosterone levels tested. This means that many men with normal test results are being unnecessarily prescribed the controversial low-t drugs, putting them at risk for serious testosterone side effects like heart attack, stroke, and possibly even death.

In one new low-t drug study published in the March-April issue of the medical journal Public Health Reports, researchers from the University of Texas examined data on 61,474 men aged 40 and older, who were prescribed testosterone replacement therapy drugs between 2001 and 2010.

According to their findings, just over one out of four men involved in the study had their testosterone serum levels tested by their doctor before being prescribed testosterone replacement therapy drugs, and two out of five never received a prostate-specific antigen test, which looks for signs of prostate cancer. Both tests are recommended by medical experts before a man is prescribed low-t drugs like AndroGel and Testim.

The study comes at a time when there has been a dramatic increase in testosterone prescriptions in men over 40 within the past decade, as they seek to increase muscle tone and sex drive which tends to naturally decline as men age. However, the long-term risks of low-t drug treatment are not well understood by the medical community at this time.

“These findings show that there may not be a consensus among physicians regarding the definition of ‘low testosterone,’ states Jacques Baillargeon, UTMB professor of epidemiology in the department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and lead author of the low-t drug study mentioned above. “It’s possible that in some cases physicians judge that a patient’s symptoms, such as fatigue and loss of muscle mass, merit testosterone therapy without clinically defined low testosterone levels,” the study suggests.

The low-t drug study’s conclusions also echo concerns recently put forth by the FDA. The agency has been reviewing the cardiovascular side effects associated with low-T therapy and is concerned with the extensive use of these medications to relieve low testosterone normally associated with aging.

Concerns About Low-T Therapy

The FDA has been investigating the safety of low testosterone therapy since Jan. 31, 2014, when it issued an alert detailing two studies which suggested the low-t drug treatments might increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, and death in certain men. On March 3, 2015, the agency updated that alert, and announced that that new information would be added to testosterone therapy drugs’ labels to alert consumers about potential association with heart attacks and strokes. In addition, testosterone products labels would be modified to clarify current approved uses, as testosterone replacement is only indicated to treat men who suffer from hypogonadism (low testosterone levels) due to disorders of the testicles, pituitary gland, or brain.

The FDA states that the agency is aware that prescription testosterone treatments were being used to relieve symptoms in men who have low testosterone for no apparent reason other than aging and not because of an actual hypogonadism condition.

Men who allegedly suffered serious cardiovascular events due to their use of prescription testosterone treatments may be entitled to compensation for their injury-related damages and should consider pursuing a testosterone product lawsuit or joining a testosterone product class action lawsuit.