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In a recent five-year study of nearly 30,000 rural Chinese people, researchers from the NCI found that daily doses of these three nutrients reduced cancer deaths by 13%.

In a study in Cancer Letters (Evangelou et al. 1997), animals with malignant tumors given high doses of vitamins C and E and selenium manifested a significant prolongation of the mean survival time. Complete remission of tumors developed in 16.8% of the animals

cities and states with high selenium content in the soil also had significantly lower rates of cancer, especially of the digestive and urinary systems.

In one study of hundreds of men, a daily intake of 200 micrograms of selenium cut the incidence of prostate cancer by 60 percent.

The statistics for breast cancer are particularly striking. "The higher the selenium, the lower the breast cancer

In Yugoslavia, scientists studied 33 patients with breast cancer. These women had selenium levels in their bloodstream only half those of healthy volunteers.

The overall reduction in cancer incidence was 37% in the selenium-supplemented group; a 50% reduction in cancer mortality was observed over a 10-year period

The following are the site-specific reductions in cancer incidence observed in the study: colon-rectal cancers (58%), lung cancer (46%), and prostate cancer (63%)

A selenium deficiency appears to increase the risk of prostate cancer fourfold to fivefold

It was determined that, as the male population ages, selenium levels decrease, paralleling an increase in prostate cancer

they may act as only weak mitogens (14, 15), or as inhibitors of proliferation

While 16α-OH estrone binds to the ER with lower affinity than estradiol, it binds covalently (18-20) and once bound, fails to down-regulate the receptor (21). Thus, 16α-OH estrone stimulates cell proliferation in a manner comparable to estradiol in ER+ breast cancer cell lines

No significant associations have been observed between 2-OH estrone and breast cancer risk

In this large prospective study of 2-OH and 16α-OH estrone metabolites and breast cancer risk, we did not observe any significant associations overall with either individual metabolite or with the ratio of the two metabolites

our results do not support the hypothesis that metabolism favoring the 2-OH estrone pathway is more beneficial to breast cancer risk than that favoring the 16α-OH estrone pathway

To date, several epidemiologic studies have examined the association between the 2-OH and 16α-OH estrogen metabolites and breast cancer risk with inconclusive results.

circulating estrogen levels have been associated more strongly with ER+/PR+ tumors than with ER-/PR- tumors

we observed positive associations with 2-OH estrone and the 2:16α-OH estrone ratio among women with lower BMI and women with ER-/PR-tumors,

we observed significant positive associations of both 2-OH estrone and the 2:16α-OH estrone ratio with ER-/PR-tumors

Three (30, 32, 33) of four (30-33) studies observed RRs above 1 for the association between 16α-OH estrone and breast cancer risk (range of RRs=1.23-2.47); none of the point estimates was statistically significant though one trend was suggestive

we observed a suggestive inverse association with 16α-OH estrone and a significant positive association with the 2:16α-OH estrone ratio among lean women, suggesting possible associations in a low estrogen environment.

No significant associations have been observed between 2-OH estrone, 16α-OH estrone, or the 2:16α-OH estrone ratio and breast cancer risk and the direction of the estimates is not consistent across studies.

based on animal studies, 2-OH estrone and the 2:16α-OH estrone ratio have been hypothesized to be inversely associated with breast cancer risk

16α-OH estrone increases unscheduled DNA synthesis in mouse mammary cells (27) and hence also may be genotoxic

Although 2-OH estrogens are capable of redox cycling, the semiquinones and quinones (i.e., the oxidized forms) form stable DNA adducts that are reversible without DNA destruction

In our population of PMH nonusers, we observed no associations with ER+/PR+ tumors, but significant positive associations with 2-OH estrone and the 2:16α-OH estrone ratio among women with ER-/PR- tumors

Animal and in vitro studies have shown that hydroxy estrogens can induce DNA damage either directly, through the formation of quinones and DNA adducts, or indirectly, through redox cycling and the generation of reactive oxygen species

we observed a significant positive association between the 2:16α-OH estrone ratio and breast cancer risk among lean women

No significant associations have been observed with the 2:16α-OH estrone ratio

In the Danish study, no associations were observed with either ER+ or ER- tumors among PMH nonusers

significant positive associations with 2-OH estrone and the 2:16α-OH estrone ratio were observed among PMH users with ER+, but not ER-, tumors

it is possible that the genotoxicity of 2-OH estrone plays a role in hormone receptor negative tumors

4-OH estrogens have a greater estrogenic potential than 2-OH estrogens, given the lower dissociation rate from estrogen receptors compared with estradiol (61), and are potentially more genotoxic since the quinones form unstable adducts, leading to depurination and mutation in vitro and in vivo

the balance between the catechol (i.e., 2-OH and 4-OH) and methoxy (i.e., 2-Me and 4-Me) estrogens may impact risk

In this study, the ratio of the 2-hydroxylation pathway to the 16-hydroxylation pathway was associated with a non-statistically significantly decreased risk of breast cancer

In this study, the ratio of catechols to methylated catechols in the 4-hydroxylation pathway was associated with statistically significantly increased risk of breast cancer.

This result is consistent with the hypothesis that mutagenic quinones derived from 4-hydroxylation pathway catechols contribute to pathogenesis of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Catechols in both the 2- and 4-hydroxylation pathways can be oxidized to form quinones; these reactive electrophiles can then react with DNA to form a variety of adducts

Methylation of the catechols prevents their conversion to reactive quinones

the most common DNA adducts derived from 4-hydroxylation pathway catechols are depurinating and highly mutagenic (7,40), most of those derived from 2-hydroxylation pathway catechols are stable and can be repaired with little error

the mortality rate of EOC has not been significantly changed for several decades

Sequencing revealed that almost all tumors (96%) had mutations in TP53, which serves as a major driver of this cancer

Low-prevalence but statistically significant mutations in nine other genes including NF1, BRCA1, BRCA2, RB1, and CDK12 were also identified, but the majority of genes were mutated at low frequency, making it difficult to distinguish between driver and passenger mutations

KPNB1 inhibition via any of three KPNB1 siRNAs or importazole treatment induced apoptosis in human EOC cell lines (Fig. 3 A–F and Fig. S4), and was accompanied by an increase in the expression levels of the proapoptotic proteins BAX and cleaved caspase-3

Stable overexpression of KPNB1 in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 (Fig. S6) significantly accelerated cell proliferation/survival (Fig. 5 A–C), confirming that KPNB1 functions as an oncogene in EOC

KPNB1 overexpression significantly decreased caspase-3/7 activity (Fig. 5D), in addition to the expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 and BAX proteins (Fig. 5E). KPNB1 overexpression also decreased p21 and p27 protein levels (Fig. 5E), as opposed to their increase by KPNB1 inhibition

KPNB1 functions as an antiapoptotic and proproliferative oncogene in EOC.

Patients with higher expression levels of KPNB1 showed earlier recurrence and worse prognosis than those with lower expression levels of KPNB1

KPNB1 acts as an oncogene in human EOC and represents a promising therapeutic target.

ivermectin treatment suppressed cell proliferation/viability in a dose-dependent manner (Fig. 7A), indicating that it exerts an antitumor effect on EOC

ivermectin also induced apoptosis

ivermectin increased the expression levels of BAX, and cleaved PARP, as well as p21 and p27

KPNB1 inhibition is responsible for the antitumor effect of ivermectin

we found that ivermectin synergistically reduced cell proliferation/viability in combination with paclitaxel in human EOC cells

Single treatment of ivermectin or paclitaxel reduced tumor growth in nude mice, but, notably, combination treatment of ivermectin and paclitaxel almost completely suppressed tumor growth

ERBB2, is amplified and overexpressed in many cancers, including breast (31), ovary (31), colon (32), bladder (33), non-small-cell lung (34), and gastric cancer (35), and is a poor prognostic factor in certain cancer types

KPNB1 was the second-highest-ranked gene identified in our screen

Increased KPNB1 protein levels have been reported in several cancers, including cervical cancer (42), hepatocellular carcinoma (43), and glioma (44), suggesting KPNB1’s oncogenic potential in these tumor types

our findings suggest that KPNB1 might serve as a master regulator of cell cycle by regulating several cell cycle-related proteins, including p21, p27, and APC/C family members

higher and/or more-frequent doses of ivermectin than currently approved for humans are well tolerated in humans

none of the mice in this study treated with the effective dosage of ivermectin for in vivo anticancer therapy showed severe adverse event

we found that the combination of ivermectin and paclitaxel produces a stronger antitumor effect on EOC cell lines than either drug alone

none of the men stopped testosterone supplementation due to prostate cancer recurrence, and none demonstrated cancer progression

PSA level did transiently rise in one patient; however, none exceeded a PSA of 1.5 ng ml−1 to raise concern for biochemical recurrence

after 19 months on TRT, 10 hypogonadal patients with a history of undergoing a radical retropubic prostatectomy for prostate cancer had no PSA recurrence and had statistically significant improvements in serum total testosterone and hypogonadal symptoms

Similarly, Kaufman and Graydon14 examined case records of seven hypogonadal men who had undergone curative RP with symptoms of hypogonadism and low serum testosterone levels treated with testosterone replacement. No biochemical or clinical evidence of cancer recurrence was noted

In a much larger case series, Khera et al.15 reviewed the records of 57 men who received TRT following RP. After an average of 36 months following RP, testosterone replacement was initiated and followed for an average of 13 months. Mean testosterone values rose significantly and once again, there was no increase in PSA values and, therefore, no diagnosed biochemical recurrence

Four of the patients in the treatment group were found to have cancer recurrence, compared with eight in the control group

All biochemical recurrences were seen in individuals with high-risk disease

chemosensitizing

pharmacological concentrations of AA can sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy, enhancing its antineoplastic effect

synergistic effect with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs is a fact already reported, in various types of cancer, by numerous authors, namely in pancreatic (Espey et al., 2011), prostate (Gilloteaux et al., 2014), lung (Lee et al., 2017), breast (Kurbacher et al., 1996; Wu et al., 2017) and ovarian (Ma et al., 2014) cancers.

chemosensitizing effect of vitamin C has already been proven by several authors in various types of cancer

intravenous pharmacological concentrations, may not only potentiate the effects of conventional chemotherapy, but also improve the quality of life of cancer patients

AA reinforced the anti-proliferative activity of 5-FU

Combined treatment induced a reduction of 11.5% and 43% in cell viability compared with AA or Iri therapies, respectively, emphasizing the synergistic effect

cytotoxic effect occurred with treatment with Iri alone, but also this effect was further potentiated by the presence of AA.

association of AA with Oxa showed very promising results, considering that a synergistic effect was demonstrated, in almost all conditions

AA and Oxa seem to act synergistically by the activation of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, translated on the statistically significant increase of the ratio between BAX and BCL-2 proteins, which in turn is associated with a decrease of Δψm

Previous results obtained by our group showed that AA mediates reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation capable of irreparably damaging DNA

oxidative role of AA may be a key factor on the synergistic anti-cancer mechanism

Studies have shown an inverse relationship between serum testosterone and fasting blood glucose and insulin levels

Medications such as chronic analgesics, anticonvulsants, 5ARIs, and androgen ablation therapy are associated with increased risk of testosterone deficiency and insulin resistance

Women with T2D or metabolic syndrome characteristically have low SHBG and high free testosterone

Hypogonadism is a common feature of the metabolic syndrome

The precise interaction between insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and hypogonadism is, as yet, unclear but the important mechanisms are through increased aromatase production, raised leptin levels, and increase in inflammatory kinins

levels of testosterone are reduced in proportion to degree of obesity

Men should be encouraged to combine aerobic exercise with strength training. As muscle increases, glucose will be burned more efficiently and insulin levels will fall. A minimum of 30 minutes exercise three times weekly should be advised

Testosterone increases levels of fast-twitch muscle fibres

By increasing testosterone, levels of type 2 fibres increase and glucose burning improves

Weight loss will increase levels of testosterone

studies now clearly show that low testosterone leads to visceral obesity and metabolic syndrome and is also a consequence of obesity

In the case of MMAS [43], a baseline total testosterone of less than 10.4 nmol/L was associated with a greater than 4-fold incidence of type 2 diabetes over the next 9 years

There is high level evidence that TRT improves insulin resistance

Low testosterone predicts increased mortality and testosterone therapy improves survival in 587 men with type 2 diabetes

A similar retrospective US study involved 1031 men with 372 on TRT. The cumulative mortality was 21% in the untreated group versus 10% ( ) in the treated group with the greatest effect in younger men and those with type 2 diabetes

the presence of ED has been shown to be an independent risk factor, particularly in hypogonadal men, increasing the risk of cardiac events by over 50%

A recent online publication on ischaemic heart disease mortality in men concluded optimal androgen levels are a biomarker for survival

inverse associations between low TT or FT (Table 2) and the severity of CAD

A recent 10 year study from Western Australia involving 3690 men followed up from 2001–2010 concluded that TT and FT levels in the normal range were associated with decreased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, for the first time suggesting that both low and DHT are associated with all-cause mortality and higher levels of DHT reduced cardiovascular risk

TDS is associated with increased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality

The effect of treatment with TRT reduced the mortality rate of treated cohort (8.4%) to that of the eugonadal group whereas the mortality for the untreated remained high at 19.2%

hypogonadal men had slightly increased triglycerides and HDL

Men with angiographically proven CAD (coronary artery disease) have significantly lower testosterone levels [29] compared to controls ( ) and there was a significant inverse relationship between the degree of CAD and TT (total testosterone) levels

TRT has also been shown to reduce fibrinogen to levels similar to fibrates

men treated with long acting testosterone showed highly significant reductions in TC, LDL, and triglycerides with increase in HDL, associated with significant reduction in weight, BMI, and visceral fat

Low androgen levels are associated with an increase in inflammatory markers

A decline was noted in IL6 and TNF-alpha

In some studies, a decline in diastolic blood pressure has been observed, after 3–9 months [24, 26] and in systolic blood pressure

In the Moscow study, C-reactive protein was reduced by TRT at 30 weeks versus placebo

No studies to date show an increase in LUTS/BPH symptoms with higher serum testosterone levels

TRT has been shown to upregulate PDE5 [65] and enhance the effect of PDE5Is (now an accepted therapy for both ED and LUTS), it no longer seems logical to advice avoidance of TRT in men with mild to moderate BPH.

Several meta-analyses have failed to show a link between TRT and development of prostate cancer [66] but some studies have shown a tendency for more aggressive prostate cancer in men with low testosterone

low bioavailable testosterone and high SHBG were associated with a 4.9- and 3.2-fold risk of positive biopsy

Current EAU, ISSAM, and BSSM guidance [1, 2] is that there is “no evidence TRT is associated with increased risk of prostate cancer or activation of subclinical cancer.”

Men with prostate cancer, treated with androgen deprivation, develop an increase of fat mass with an altered lipid profile

Erectile dysfunction is an established marker for future cardiovascular risk and the major presenting symptom leading to a diagnosis of low testosterone

TA-65 administration during 4 months significantly improved the capacity to uptake glucose after a glucose pulse

liver protective action of TA-65

A disadvantage of mTERT potentiation could be associated to its capacity to favor proliferation of cancerous cells in murine models

TA-65 treated mice presented a similar incidence of malignant cancers at time of death, with a tendency to show decreased sarcomas and slightly increased lymphomas

We demonstrate here that TA-65 leads to a significant rescue of short telomeres through telomerase activation

TA-65 treatment increases proliferation and mobilization potential of mouse keratinocytes in vitro, a situation mimicking telomerase overexpression

TAT2, a similar molecule, have beneficial effects in the activation of CD8+ T lymphocytes from HIV-infected patients where they observe an increase of the proliferative potential and enhancement of cytokine/chemokine production

TA-65 resulted in a similar rescue of short telomeres in leukocytes post-treatment as observed with humans, most likely through an activation of telomerase

we observe that TA-65 lead to 10 fold increase of telomerase RNA levels in the liver of treated mice comparing to the non-treated same-age cohorts

TA-65 regulates telomerase at the transcription level, probably through the regulation of the MAPK pathway

TA-65 dependent telomerase activation results in a better organ fitness as demonstrated by the improved scores at the glucose tolerance test and insulin levels at fasting

TA-65 supplemented mice also present modest enhancement of the subcutaneous and epidermal thickness, as well as higher bone density, representative of an overall fitness status improvemen

TA-65 treated mice present higher levels of RBC and hemoglobin comparing to the control cohorts

improved health-span of TA-65 treated mice is not accompanied by increased cancer incidence, which may be related to the fact that TERT levels are very modestly increased in all tissues tested except for the liver

systemic telomerase overexpression from the germline leads to protection from aging associated pathologies

similar situation could be mimicked expressing telomerase late in life in a telomerase deficient background

we observed a higher proliferation rate and a partial protection from cell death in some tissues of TA65 treated mice

testosterone therapy causes a shift in the skeletal muscle of CHF patients toward a higher concentration of type I muscle fibers

Testosterone replacement therapy has also been shown to improve the homeostatic model of insulin resistance and hemoglobin A1c in diabetics26,68–69 and to lower the BMI in obese patients.

Lower levels of endogenous testosterone have been associated with longer duration of the QTc interval

testosterone replacement has been shown to shorten the QTc interval

negative correlation has been demonstrated between endogenous testosterone levels and IMT of the carotid arteries, abdominal aorta, and thoracic aorta

These findings suggest that men with lower levels of endogenous testosterone may be at a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Current guidelines from the Endocrine Society make no recommendations on whether patients with heart disease should be screened for hypogonadism and do not recommend supplementing patients with heart disease to improve survival.

The Massachusetts Male Aging Study also projects ≈481 000 new cases of hypogonadism annually in US men within the same age group

since 1993 prescriptions for testosterone, regardless of the formulation, have increased nearly 500%

Testosterone levels are lower in patients with chronic illnesses such as end‐stage renal disease, human immunodeficiency virus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, and several genetic conditions such as Klinefelter syndrome

A growing body of evidence suggests that men with lower levels of endogenous testosterone are more prone to develop CAD during their lifetimes

There are 2 major potential confounding factors that the older studies generally failed to account for. These factors are the subfraction of testosterone used to perform the analysis and the method used to account for subclinical CAD.

The biologically inactive form of testosterone is tightly bound to SHBG and is therefore unable to bind to androgen receptors

The biologically inactive fraction of testosterone comprises nearly 68% of the total testosterone in human serum

The biologically active subfraction of testosterone, also referred to as bioavailable testosterone, is either loosely bound to albumin or circulates freely in the blood, the latter referred to as free testosterone

It is estimated that ≈30% of total serum testosterone is bound to albumin, whereas the remaining 1% to 3% circulates as free testosterone

it can be argued that using the biologically active form of testosterone to evaluate the association with CAD will produce the most reliable results

English et al14 found statistically significant lower levels of bioavailable testosterone, free testosterone, and free androgen index in patients with catheterization‐proven CAD compared with controls with normal coronary arteries

patients with catheterization‐proven CAD had statistically significant lower levels of bioavailable testosterone

In conclusion, existing evidence suggests that men with CAD have lower levels of endogenous testosterone,13–18 and more specifically lower levels of bioavailable testosterone

low testosterone levels are associated with risk factors for CAD such as T2DM25–26 and obesity

In a meta‐analysis of these 7 population‐based studies, Araujo et al41 showed a trend toward increased cardiovascular mortality associated with lower levels of total testosterone, but statistical significance was not achieved (RR, 1.25

the authors showed that a decrease of 2.1 standard deviations in levels of total testosterone was associated with a 25% increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality

the relative risk of all‐cause mortality in men with lower levels of total testosterone was calculated to be 1.35

higher risk of cardiovascular mortality is associated with lower levels of bioavailable testosterone

Existing evidence seems to suggest that lower levels of endogenous testosterone are associated with higher rates of all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality

studies have shown that lower levels of endogenous bioavailable testosterone are associated with higher rates of all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality

It may be possible that using bioavailable testosterone to perform mortality analysis will yield more accurate results because it prevents the biologically inactive subfraction of testosterone from playing a potential confounding role in the analysis

The earliest published material on this matter dates to the late 1930s

the concept that testosterone replacement therapy improves angina has yet to be proven wrong

In more recent studies, 3 randomized, placebo‐controlled trials demonstrated that administration of testosterone improves myocardial ischemia in men with CAD

The improvement in myocardial ischemia was shown to occur in response to both acute and chronic testosterone therapy and seemed to be independent of whether an intravenous or transdermal formulation of testosterone was used.

testosterone had no effect on endothelial nitric oxide activity

There is growing evidence from in vivo animal models and in vitro models that testosterone induces coronary vasodilation by modulating the activity of ion channels, such as potassium and calcium channels, on the surface of vascular smooth muscle cells

Experimental studies suggest that the most likely mechanism of action for testosterone on vascular smooth muscle cells is via modulation of action of non‐ATP‐sensitive potassium ion channels, calcium‐activated potassium ion channels, voltage‐sensitive potassium ion channels, and finally L‐type calcium ion channels

Corona et al confirmed those results by demonstrating that not only total testosterone levels are lower among diabetics, but also the levels of free testosterone and SHBG are lower in diabetic patients

Laaksonen et al65 followed 702 Finnish men for 11 years and demonstrated that men in the lowest quartile of total testosterone, free testosterone, and SHBG were more likely to develop T2DM and metabolic syndrome.

Vikan et al followed 1454 Swedish men for 11 years and discovered that men in the highest quartile of total testosterone were significantly less likely to develop T2DM

authors demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the incidence of T2DM in subjects receiving gonadotropin‐releasing hormone antagonist therapy. In addition, a significant increase in the rate of myocardial infarction, stroke, sudden cardiac death, and development of cardiovascular disease was noted in patients receiving antiandrogen therapy.67

Several authors have demonstrated that the administration of testosterone in diabetic men improves the homeostatic model of insulin resistance, hemoglobin A1c, and fasting plasma glucose

Existing evidence strongly suggests that the levels of total and free testosterone are lower among diabetic patients compared with those in nondiabetics

insulin seems to be acting as a stimulant for the hypothalamus to secret gonadotropin‐releasing hormone, which consequently results in increased testosterone production. It can be argued that decreased stimulation of the hypothalamus in diabetics secondary to insulin deficiency could result in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

BMI has been shown to be inversely associated with testosterone levels

This interaction may be a result of the promotion of lipolysis in abdominal adipose tissue by testosterone, which may in turn cause reduced abdominal adiposity. On the other hand, given that adipose tissue has a higher concentration of the enzyme aromatase, it could be that increased adipose tissue results in more testosterone being converted to estrogen, thereby causing hypogonadism. Third, increased abdominal obesity may cause reduced testosterone secretion by negatively affecting the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐testicular axis. Finally, testosterone may be the key factor in activating the enzyme 11‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in adipose tissue, which transforms glucocorticoids into their inactive form.

increasing age may alter the association between testosterone and CRP. Another possible explanation for the association between testosterone level and CRP is central obesity and waist circumference

Bai et al have provided convincing evidence that testosterone might be able to shorten the QTc interval by augmenting the activity of slowly activating delayed rectifier potassium channels while simultaneously slowing the activity of L‐type calcium channels

consistent evidence that supplemental testosterone shortens the QTc interval.

Intima‐media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery is considered a marker for preclinical atherosclerosis

Studies have shown that levels of endogenous testosterone are inversely associated with IMT of the carotid artery,126–128,32,129–130 as well as both the thoracic134 and the abdominal aorta

1 study has demonstrated that lower levels of free testosterone are associated with accelerated progression of carotid artery IMT

another study has reported that decreased levels of total and bioavailable testosterone are associated with progression of atherosclerosis in the abdominal aorta

These findings suggest that normal physiologic testosterone levels may help to protect men from the development of atherosclerosis

Czesla et al successfully demonstrated that the muscle specimens that were exposed to metenolone had a significant shift in their composition toward type I muscle fibers

Type I muscle fibers, also known as slow‐twitch or oxidative fibers, are associated with enhanced strength and physical capability

It has been shown that those with advanced CHF have a higher percentage of type II muscle fibers, based on muscle biopsy

Studies have shown that men with CHF suffer from reduced levels of total and free testosterone.137 It has also been shown that reduced testosterone levels in men with CHF portends a poor prognosis and is associated with increased CHF mortality.138 Reduced testosterone has also been shown to correlate negatively with exercise capacity in CHF patients.

Testosterone replacement therapy has been shown to significantly improve exercise capacity, without affecting LVEF

the results of the 3 meta‐analyses seem to indicate that testosterone replacement therapy does not cause an increase in the rate of adverse cardiovascular events

Data from 3 meta‐analyses seem to contradict the commonly held belief that testosterone administration may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer

One meta‐analysis reported an increase in all prostate‐related adverse events with testosterone administration.146 However, when each prostate‐related event, including prostate cancer and a rise in PSA, was analyzed separately, no differences were observed between the testosterone group and the placebo group

the existing data from the 3 meta‐analyses seem to indicate that testosterone replacement therapy does not increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events

the authors correctly point out the weaknesses of their study which include retrospective study design and lack of randomization, small sample size at extremes of follow‐up, lack of outcome validation by chart review and poor generalizability of the results given that only male veterans with CAD were included in this study

the studies that failed to find an association between testosterone and CRP used an older population group

low testosterone may influence the severity of CAD by adversely affecting the mediators of the inflammatory response such as high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6, and tumor necrosis factor–α