Vitamin E and Heart Disease and Mortality... too much Testosterone?

Copyright 2004, James Michael Howard, Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.A.

While controversial, support exists that testosterone increases mortality in men and women. Testosterone is not "the male hormone," males simply produce more of it. Increased "morbidity and mortality" are a concern for women with androgen excess (Am J Med. 1995 Jan 16;98(1A):137S-143S).

Vitamin E stimulates testosterone production in men (Endocrinol Jpn. 1982 Jun;29(3):287-92). (I could not find a connection in women.) If testosterone really does have a connection with increased morbidity and mortality, it may be that the increased mortality now attributed to excess vitamin E may be due to increased levels of testosterone. A boost in testosterone may often be beneficial, however, too much testosterone causes problems. This may be part of the explanation of the beneficial and negative effects of vitamin E.