Men With Large Testicles Are More Likely to Suffer From Heart Diseases: Study

A latest study from Italy suggests that men with large testicles are more likely to suffer from heart diseases. The study also found that having huge testicles is associated with a slightly elevated risk of being hospitalized for heart disease, high blood pressure and excess alcohol consumption.

A study was done on 2,800 Italian men who sought medical care for sexual dysfunction.  It was based on examining these men that the researchers at the University of Florence highlighted an association between larger testicles and increased risk of heart diseases.

"Although it is generally assumed that testis size can predict reproductive fitness, our results indicate that this objective parameter can provide insights also on overall health and [cardiovascular disease] risk,"  said study lead Giulia Rasterelli, University of Florence. "Further studies are needed for clarifying determinants and mechanisms of testis enlargement that could mediate the increased incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events."

For the study, the researchers recorded the testicle size of the 2,809 men and also collected the hormone samples and checked the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) before following their health over a seven year period. They noticed that men with larger testicles suffered with adverse heart disease. Men with larger testicles had higher levels of LH that stimulates the production of testosterone.  And it was this testosterone that is harmful to the person's cardiovascular systems.

The researchers however state that this finding is not applicable to a wider population as it was done on men with sexual dysfunction.

The study was published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.