{
  "id": 15760650,
  "title": "Testosterone therapy may increase risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/testosterone-therapy-may-increase-risk-of-cardiovascular-disease-in",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-20T16:00:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-testosterone-therapy-cardiovascular-disease-postmenopausal.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society suggests that testosterone therapy may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. Testosterone therapy is not typically recommended for postmenopausal women due to limited long-term safety data, but it is occasionally prescribed off-label to address low libido. Researchers analyzed data from over 6,300 postmenopausal women and found that those who initiated testosterone therapy had a significantly higher risk of incident composite cardiovascular disease compared to those without testosterone exposure (3.8% vs. 0.5%; hazard ratio 8.08, 95% CI 4.72--13.82). Although absolute event rates were low, the association remained consistent across multiple cohort definitions. Lead author Dr. Xuezhi Daniel Jiang emphasizes the need for further prospective investigation due to the low absolute event rates and the importance of individualized risks and benefits when prescribing testosterone therapy. Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society, also stresses the significance of the findings given the lack of long-term safety data on testosterone use in women. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among women, and this study underscores the importance of further research to clarify the cardiovascular safety of testosterone therapy in postmenopausal women.",
  "summary": "Testosterone therapy is not routinely recommended for postmenopausal women, in part because long-term safety data remain limited. It is, however, prescribed off label to help women suffering from low libido. A new study links testosterone therapy in postmenopausal women with a higher risk of incident cardiovascular disease. Results of the study were presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of The…",
  "key_points": [
    "Testosterone therapy linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal women",
    "3.8% vs. 0.5% incident composite cardiovascular disease risk",
    "Lead author calls for further prospective investigation"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}