Testosterone therapy does not increase heart attack risk, according to a recent study.

Testosterone prescriptions for older men in the United States have increased more than three-fold over the past decade. Recent studies linking testosterone use with increased risk of heart attack and stroke have caused widespread concern among patients and their families. However, researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston found that isn't the case.

"Our investigation was motivated by a growing concern, in the [United States] and internationally, that testosterone therapy increases men's risk for cardiovascular disease, specifically heart attack and stroke," Jacques Baillargeon, lead author of the study, said in a statement. "This concern has increased in the last few years based on the results of a clinical trial and two observational studies."

For the study, researchers examined more than 25,000 Medicare beneficiaries 66 years or older treated with testosterone for up to eight years. Men of the same age, race, Medicaid eligibility, and health status who did not receive testosterone therapy were used as a control group for comparison.

The research team found that testosterone therapy was not associated with an increased risk of heart attack. Further, testosterone users with a higher probability of cardiovascular problems had a lower rate of heart attacks in comparison to equivalent patients who did not receive testosterone therapy.

"This is a rigorous analysis of a large number of patients," Baillargeon said. "Our findings did not show an increased risk of heart attack associated with testosterone use in older men," he said. "However, large-scale, randomized clinical trials will provide more definitive evidence regarding these risks in the coming years."

In recent years, the testosterone therapy market has grown to $1.6 billion annually as men seek to supplement low testosterone counts with products that may increase muscle tone and sex drive.

The findings were recently published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.