Men with low level of testosterone have more death risk

US scientists studied the relationship between testosterone levels and death in 858 military veterans aged over 40.

Photo: Men with low level of testosterone have more death risk

In the Archives of Internal Medicine, they report men with low hormone levels had an 88% increased risk of death compared with men with normal levels, according to BBC News.

But another expert said the study was not representative of the general population and contained weaknesses.

Men in the lowest of three categories of testosterone levels were at least 68 percent more likely to die in the following 4-1/2 years than those in the "normal" category, the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine said.

Out of a total of 858 military veterans aged 40 or older, 166 had below normal testosterone levels and 35 percent died during the study period. That compared to a 20 percent death rate for subjects with normal testosterone levels, Reuters reports.

Levels of testosterone drop when serious illness strikes and recover when the illness passes, or do not rebound if health fails to improve, said study author Molly Shores of the University of Washington at Seattle.