Impact of high doses of Statins on testosterone level in males with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease

Abstract

Concern has always existed that statins might impair testosterone production either by reducing availability of its preferred substrate, that is, locally produced de novo cholesterol in the gonads and elsewhere, or by inhibiting steps in the steroidogenesis process,but this concern has been considered of little clinical significance. In our study there were a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL and TGs in both low dose and high dose groups, but the effect on testosterone was quite different between them, the reduction in testosterone was about 33% from the baseline in the high dose group while in the low dose there was no significant reduction in the testosterone level.