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Published in: Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research 1/2020

01-02-2020 | Obesity | Review Article

Vascular Pathways of Testosterone: Clinical Implications

Authors: Margarida Lorigo, Melissa Mariana, Nelson Oliveira, Manuel C. Lemos, Elisa Cairrao

Published in: Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research | Issue 1/2020

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Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Testosterone (T) is an important sex hormone that triggers several genomic and non-genomic pathways, leading to improvements of several cardiovascular risk factors and quality of life in men. At the vascular level, the key effect of T is the vasorelaxation. This review discusses the molecular pathways and clinical implications of T in the vascular system. Firstly, the mechanisms involved in the T vasodilator effect will be presented. Then, it will be discussed the association of T with the main risks for CVD, namely metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, atherosclerosis, dyslipidaemia and hypertension. Several studies have shown a correlation between low T levels and an increased prevalence of several CVD. These observations suggest that T has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and that testosterone replacement therapy may become a therapeutic reality for some of these disorders.
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Metadata
Title
Vascular Pathways of Testosterone: Clinical Implications
Authors
Margarida Lorigo
Melissa Mariana
Nelson Oliveira
Manuel C. Lemos
Elisa Cairrao
Publication date
01-02-2020
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research / Issue 1/2020
Print ISSN: 1937-5387
Electronic ISSN: 1937-5395
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12265-019-09939-5

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