Testosterone Treatment Lawsuit Claims

HermanGerel, LLP is reviewing potential claims for testosterone replacement therapy users who have suffered serious health problems while receiving testosterone treatment.

To review a potential case for yourself, a family member or friend, please call 404-880-9500 and ask to speak to one of our testosterone treatment lawyers or complete the online contact form.

Recent Medical Studies Investigate Health Risks of Testosterone Treatments

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on January 31, 2014 that it is investigating the health risks of testosterone therapy products after recent studies showed an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke, blood clots and death, among groups of men prescribed testosterone therapy. The actions of the FDA were prompted by research from a major study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which reports elevated health risks to those treated with testosterone supplements.

Testosterone is a hormone essential to the development of male growth and masculine characteristics. It has a role in sex drive, and it helps men maintain muscle mass, red blood cell production, fat distribution and bone density. These products are approved only for use in men who lack or have low testosterone levels in conjunction with an associated medical condition.

Such conditions include, but are not limited to:

• Hypogonadism: The failure of the testicles to produce testosterone due to reasons such as genetic problems.
• Chemotherapy treatment
• Problems with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland that control the production of testosterone by the testicles.

None of the FDA-approved testosterone products are approved for use in men with low testosterone levels who lack one of the associated medical conditions.

What is low testosterone therapy?

Testosterone therapy or low T treatment is prescribed to men to combat the natural decline in testosterone as they age. It helps improve sex drive, strengthen bone density and build muscle mass.

Testosterone therapy is most often administered as a gel, patch or injection. Testosterone replacement therapy users report serious health problems from taking the following drugs:

• Androderm
• Axirom
• Bio-T-Gel
• Delatestryl
• Depo-Testosterone
• Fortesta
• Striant
• Testim
• Testopel

Testosterone Therapy for Low T Carries Risk of Heart Attack or Stroke

In 2011, more than 5 million prescriptions for testosterone treatments were written in the United States alone. New research has shown these testosterone treatments are more dangerous than initially thought. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found a definitive increased health risk among men with signs of heart problems who are taking testosterone supplements.

The study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas examined 9,000 male veterans with an average age of 60 who had gone through at least one coronary angiography between 2005 and 2011. This procedure is meant for people experiencing symptoms like chest pain or for individuals at increased risk of heart problems.

About 1,200 of the men who had the coronary angiography also had low testosterone levels. They began taking testosterone treatments soon after.

Researchers followed up with the men receiving testosterone a little over 2 years later. The results showed that numerous men had either suffered a heart attack, stroke or death from any cause. About 20 percent of the men who did not take testosterone supplements also experienced such health problems or died from any cause.

According to the study, men who did low T therapy with the following signs of health problems had a greater increase for risk of stroke, heart attack or death. Heart problems that could potentially elevate the risk of men undergoing testosterone treatments included the following:

• plaque build-up
• artery blockage
• high cholesterol
• diabetes
• obesity

The authors of the study recommended that physicians should prescribe low testosterone treatments with more caution.

Testosterone Treatment Marketing Worries Medical Experts

Due to the seriousness of the above study’s findings the medical community is becoming increasingly wary of the use of Low T therapy. Some medical professionals worry about the dangers of aggressive direct marketing undertaken the low testosterone manufacturers.

AbbVie, Inc., the manufacturer of AndroGel, a heavily marketed testosterone supplement, issued a statement in response to the study, acknowledging their product could cause serious problems for people who have heart, kidney or lung disease.

In 2011, more than 5 million prescriptions were written for testosterone in the US, according to news reports. News media covering the large increase in prescription testosterone product sales report that pharmaceutical advertising of testosterone products promotes excessive and inappropriate use of the drug. In 2013, the New York Times reported that many physicians believe that the testosterone products may have questionable medical benefits for the millions of men who now take them while the side effects remain very dangerous. When asked about these prevalent testosterone therapy drugs, Dr. Eric Topol, cardiologist and chief academic officer at Scripps Health in San Diego, got straight to the point, stating, “These medicines come with a risk of coronary artery disease.” Despite its questionable medical value, the industry made over $2 billion on testosterone therapy gels in 2012 alone due to its marketing of testosterone products as “lifestyle products.”

You May Want To Consider Filing A Low Testosterone Therapy Lawsuit

What should you do if you are currently undergoing treatments for low testosterone or testosterone replacement therapy:

• Discuss the increased risk of heart problems with your doctor, and
• Contact the experienced attorneys at HermanGerel, LLP

We are currently investigating legal claims regarding men who suffered a stroke, heart attack or even died while taking low T treatments or testosterone therapy. There is no cost to file a testosterone lawsuit with the HermanGerel law firm so contact us today for your free legal consultation.

To review a potential case for yourself, a family member or friend, please call 404-880-9500 and ask to speak to one of our testosterone treatment lawyers or complete the online contact form.