Men with larger testicles may cause heart disease?

Core tip: Men with larger testicles are also at greater risk of hospitalization for heart disease. Researchers also found that high levels of luteinizing hormone (LH)-secreted by the pituitary gland to stimulate the production of testosterone-is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

US "Life Science" website reported that a recent Italian study showed that men with larger testicles have a higher risk of heart disease.

The study measured the testicular size of 2,800 Italian men seeking treatment for sexual dysfunction, and continued to monitor their condition for 7 years. Researchers unexpectedly discovered that risk factors for heart disease—such as obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure—are directly linked to larger testicles.

Men with larger testicles are also at greater risk of hospitalization for heart disease. Researchers also found that high levels of luteinizing hormone (LH)-secreted by the pituitary gland to stimulate the production of testosterone-is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Even if researchers consider the risk factors for heart disease, this association still exists.

It is very likely that higher LH content has a direct and harmful effect on the cardiovascular system, or other factors that this study did not consider will cause both higher LH content and heart disease at the same time, the researchers explained.

Previously, larger testicles were considered to be a sign of better reproductive health, so the discovery of the link between larger testicles and unhealthy conditions surprised researchers. "Although testicular size was previously thought to predict reproductive health, our results show that this objective parameter may provide new insights into overall health and cardiovascular disease risk." The researchers wrote in this July 11 issue of the journal Sex It reads in the article on Medicine.

As for the specific reasons that larger testes are associated with heart disease, researchers pointed out that men with health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease, generally have lower testosterone. Researchers suspect that in such men, the body may try to make up for lower testosterone levels by secreting more pituitary hormones, which may lead to an increase in testicular volume. However, other experts believe that this assumption is only an extension.

Although the production of pituitary hormones in men with lower testosterone may increase, but the concept of "testicle size becomes larger due to pituitary hormones", I very much doubt its authenticity. Urology, University of Maryland Medical Center Doctor Andrew Kramer (. Andrew Kramer) said so.

"I suspect that the size of the testicles has not increased. It may even be smaller than that of healthy men." Kramer said. Kramer agrees with the view that higher LH levels are unhealthy signs and may be related to heart disease, but he believes that lower LH levels should be related to larger testes, and higher LH levels should be related to smaller Related to the testicles.

Because the subjects in this study were men with sexual dysfunction, the results of the study may not be suitable for the general public, the researchers added.