The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)has received criticism over a recent article about the alleged connection between testosterone* replacement therapy and stroke/heart disease. However, the critics may have links to the manufacturers of testosterone-replacement drugs.

[*Testosterone replacement therapy is sometimes called androgen-replacement therapy since testosterone belongs to a larger family of hormones called androgens. In this context, the terms “testosterone” and “androgen” are interchangeable.]

A letter addressed to JAMA’s editor-in-chief came from the “Androgen Study Group,” arguing there were serious methodological flaws in the study, which found a strong link between androgen-replacement therapy and heart disease. The letter demands the retraction of the study — which would be a rare event for a prestigious journal like JAMA.

However, the physicians who comprise the “Androgen Study Group” may have ties to drug manufacturers. It’s reported that at least four of the five co-signers of the letter allegedly have known ties to Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of a testosterone replacement drug called Testim. Personal injury lawsuits have been filed alleging that patients have suffered from heart attacks and stroke after using Testim.

At least four of the five physicians that make up the “Androgen Study Group” have various consulting roles at Auxilium, according to reports. This was uncovered due to conflict of interest declarations. When publishing a peer-reviewed article, authors are required to state any potential conflicts of interests the researchers may have. Since various members of the “Androgen Study Group” have published articles, their conflict of interest declarations have helped reveal connections to Auxilium. For example, at least two of the authors are known consultants of Auxiliun, and one is actually on the company’s scientific advisory board. One of the researchers insists that they have no ties to any pharmaceutical company.

The JAMA article stated that using various androgen/testosterone replacement drugs could increase a patient’s risk of blood-clot related medical emergencies. When blood clots within the body, it can cause serious health problems. For example, when the blood clot lodges in the blood vessels supplying the heart, lungs, or brain, it could cause a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or stroke respectively. These events can cause permanent damage or death to a patient.

Dozens of personal injury lawsuits have been filed in recent months by testosterone users who claim they developed blood clots from testosterone products that caused them to suffer heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary emoblisms (blood clots in the lung), and more. Some of the testosterone products named in these lawsuits include Testin, AndroGel, Androderm, Axiron, Bio-T-Gel, and more.