Flawed JAMA study linking testosterone treatment and heart risks continues to draw criticism
Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, author of the well-regarded book Testosterone for Life and a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, is one of many men’s health experts calling for the retraction of a controversial study that may be spreading misinformation about testosterone therapy to the public.
The study, which was published in the November 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), alleged a statistically significant increase in the risk of heart attack and stroke in men over 60 who took testosterone for treatment of fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and other andropause-related symptoms. The study had numerous flaws, which Renew Man™ has addressed here.
Some of the problems with the study have been acknowledged and corrected—JAMA has already edited the article twice. However, men’s health experts like Dr. Morgentaler believe more issues remain. Dr. Morgentaler has recently submitted a petition for retraction based on the study’s questionable statistical analysis, believing that the responsible course of action would be to have the study retracted rather than corrected.
According to RetractionWatch.com, there has been a tenfold increase in retractions of scientific studies between 2001 and 2010. However, retractions of medical articles remain rare with under 1 percent of all published articles coming into question.
Experts are divided as to the cause of the increase in both calls for and completed retractions. Some point to increasing interference by special interest groups like pharmaceutical companies, while others cite a breakdown of the culture of academic honesty in an increasingly competitive environment. However, the good news is that bad science can always be disproven.
Unfortunately, sometimes the impact of a sensational headline from a faulty study is very hard to erase. This has been the case with the JAMA study, as the initial publication spurred a flurry of news articles while the corrections went mostly unnoticed.
This controversy just goes to show that it is extremely important to get information about your health and your medical care from real experts. At Renew Man™, we take pride in presenting honest and accurate information about testosterone therapy to all of our patients. We can explain what sets our methods apart from those used in the JAMA study and why our responsible and balanced approach to testosterone replacement is actually beneficial for men’s heart health. Please feel free to contact us at any time to ask questions or get connected with a Renew Man™ doctor in your local area.