The effect of statins on testosterone in men and women, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Statins are extensively used for cardiovascular disease prevention. Statins reduce mortality rates more than other lipid-modulating drugs, although evidence from randomized controlled trials also suggests that statins unexpectedly increase the risk of diabetes and improve immune function. Physiologically, statins would be expected to lower androgens because statins inhibit production of the substrate for the local synthesis of androgens and statins' pleiotropic effects are somewhat similar to the physiological effects of lowering testosterone, so we hypothesized that statins lower testosterone.

Methods

A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized trials of statins to test the a priori hypothesis that statins lower testosterone. We searched the PubMed, Medline

SUBMITTER: Schooling CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3621815 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature