Low testosterone may risk heart

Heart disease is now one of the major female killers

Post-menopausal women with low levels of the male sex hormone testosterone are more likely to develop heart disease, Belgian research suggests.

Researchers looked at 112 women - half of whom had a condition of the arteries called atherosclerosis, which is seen as a precursor to major heart problems.

Those with atherosclerosis had much less testosterone than those without.

But the study, published in the European Journal of Endocrinology, did not go on to recommend supplements.

It did however call for more research into the links between the hormone and heart disease, which is now the leading cause of death of women in the UK.

Heart and circulatory diseases claim 100,000 female lives every year.

Protective properties

The risk of developing heart disease increases dramatically among women after they have been through the menopause.

Although testosterone is associated with men, women also produce it - primarily from their ovaries and adrenal glands. The menopause, and changes in hormonal balances, affects the levels produced.

Testosterone is already known to perform essential functions in both men and women such as maintaining muscle strength and bone density.

But researchers at the Free University of Brussels said the hormone also appeared to carry out other tasks, such as suppressing chemical signals which caused inflammation in the arterial wall.

This may go some way to explaining the protective effect testosterone appeared to have, although the precise role of the hormone in potentially guarding against heart disease is still not clear.

The British Heart Foundation said: "The results from this small study identify an association between low testosterone levels in post menopausal women and a build up of fatty material in the carotid artery - the artery that supplies blood to the head and neck.

"However it is unclear as to why this occurs. Further work is required to enhance our understanding of the mechanism behind this."