Postmenopausal women receiving testosterone therapy experienced higher rates of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems in new research involving more than 6,000 women. The findings point to a potential safety concern while stopping short of proving that testosterone caused the events.

The research was presented at the 2026 annual meeting of The Menopause Society in San Diego. It compared postmenopausal women age 45 and older who received testosterone therapy with women who did not receive the treatment.

Women with a history of cardiovascular disease were excluded from the study. Among those receiving testosterone, 3.8% experienced a first cardiovascular event, compared with 0.5% of women who were not receiving testosterone, according to The Menopause Society.

The cardiovascular events included heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular problems. The findings translate to approximately 38 events per 1,000 women receiving testosterone, compared with five events per 1,000 women who did not receive it.

Testosterone is a sex hormone produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands. According to Cleveland Clinic, it plays a role in sexual desire, muscle and bone health, mood and cognition.

Anna Cabeca, an OB-GYN and menopause expert based in Dallas, said the difference between the groups deserves attention. Cabeca, who is board certified, was not involved in the research.

"The difference between 3.8% and 0.5% is certainly significant enough to warrant attention, but we need to be careful about what these numbers actually tell us," Cabeca told Fox News Digital.

The comparison does not establish that testosterone therapy caused the cardiovascular events. Still, Cabeca said the results warrant careful consideration by women and the clinicians treating them.

For women considering testosterone therapy, Cabeca said doctors should evaluate the patient’s overall health. That review should include heart history, blood pressure, cholesterol, metabolic health, medications and family history.

At the same time, Cabeca emphasized that concerns involving sexual function should not be dismissed. Menopause can bring questions about libido, arousal and intimacy that women may want to discuss with their doctors.

"Sexual health is an essential part of overall health, and women deserve to have their concerns about libido, arousal and intimacy taken seriously, particularly during and after menopause," she said.

Testosterone can improve sexual desire and satisfaction in appropriately selected postmenopausal women, according to Cabeca. However, she advised that any possible benefits should be weighed against the potential risks identified in the research.

When testosterone therapy is considered appropriate, Cabeca favors careful dosing and monitoring. She also recommends regular assessments of a patient’s symptoms and laboratory results throughout treatment.

The researchers acknowledged important limitations in the findings. The study was observational, meaning researchers examined outcomes among women who were already receiving testosterone instead of assigning the treatment through a controlled trial.

Because of that design, the research can identify an association between testosterone use and cardiovascular events, but it cannot demonstrate causation. Other differences between the groups could have influenced the results.

Women receiving testosterone may have differed from untreated women in age, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol levels or other health factors, Cabeca said. Those differences could have affected their cardiovascular risk independently of treatment.

"This is an important safety signal that deserves further investigation, not definitive evidence of causation," Cabeca added.

The findings leave doctors and patients with a notable risk signal to consider when discussing testosterone therapy after menopause. They also reinforce Cabeca’s call for individual health assessments, cautious dosing, continued monitoring and a careful review of potential benefits and risks.