Heart attack and stroke risk associated with low testosterone therapy is pushing a growing number of lawsuits. Medications prescribed to treat low testosterone (low T) levels in men have been linked to a rise in heart attack and stroke risk. Affected patients and their families are fighting back by filing lawsuits now numbering more than 280 nationwide.
According to the master case list of the US Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), the number of testosterone lawsuits filings across the country alleging heart attacks, blood clots and strokes hit 282 in January. They’re filed on behalf of men who suffered cardiovascular complications or even death believed to have been caused by use of certain testosterone replacement drugs. Plaintiffs and their attorneys allege that product manufacturers failed to warn doctors and patients about known risks associated with their medications.
The US Food and Drug Administration announced in January 2014 that it was reassessing the safety and efficacy of all FDA-approved low T therapy products. Later in the year, a study conducted jointly by the University of California, Los Angeles and the National Institutes of Health and Consolidated Research revealed a two-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in men under age 65 with a history of heart disease shortly after undergoing testosterone therapy treatment. Researchers also found a two-fold boost in heart attack risk for patients over 65, regardless of a history of coronary health issues. Meanwhile, statistics show that the number of testosterone therapy prescriptions has tripled nationwide since 2001 – This despite the fact that clinical cases of Low-T remain relatively rare, affecting just five percent of men of all ages, and 20 percent of men age 70 and older.
Many experts suspect that low T drug manufacturers may be using trumped up symptoms to push sales. Among the frequently prescribed drugs named in testosterone lawsuits are:
- AndroGel
- Androderm
- Axiron
- Delatestryl
- Depo-Testosterone
- Fortesta
- Testim
If you or a man you love has suffered a cardiovascular issue that may have been caused by taking low testosterone medications, call 800-251-1111 to speak with a testosterone therapy attorney with Jacksonville’s Harrell and Harrell today.