How does testosterone affect a man's heart health?

According to Marc Gillinov, a cardiovascular surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and coauthor of the book Heart 411, there's a link between heart health and testosterone, but scientists don't fully understand the connection. On the one hand, testosterone can dilate blood vessels, which may help circulation. On the other hand, it stimulates the growth of red blood cells, which can cause blood to clot more easily and increase stroke risk.

Men who have low testosterone have a 25% greater risk of dying from heart disease. Whether low testosterone causes heart disease or is simply a sign of overall poor health is unknown.

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