Is Testosterone
Therapy Safe?
Outdated headlines have created confusion around testosterone therapy safety. The evidence is clear: when properly diagnosed, dosed, and monitored by a clinical team, TRT is both safe and effective. Here's what the science actually says — and how we ensure your safety at every step.
TRT Safety: Myths vs. Evidence
Much of the fear around testosterone therapy stems from retracted studies and misinterpreted data. Here's what large-scale, peer-reviewed research actually shows.
Testosterone therapy causes heart attacks
Large-scale studies including the TRAVERSE trial (2023, 5,246 men) found no increased cardiovascular risk with testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism. The AUA and Endocrine Society support TRT when properly monitored.
TRT causes prostate cancer
Current evidence does not support a causal link between testosterone therapy and prostate cancer. The Endocrine Society guidelines confirm that TRT is not contraindicated in men without active prostate cancer.
Testosterone therapy causes blood clots
When properly monitored with regular hematocrit testing, the risk of polycythemia (elevated red blood cells) is manageable. Therapeutic phlebotomy and dose adjustments keep levels in safe ranges.
Once you start TRT, you can never stop
While long-term TRT can suppress natural production, protocols exist to taper off with HCG or selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) to support recovery of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
How We Ensure TRT Safety
Safety isn't an afterthought — it's built into every step of our testosterone therapy process, from initial evaluation through ongoing monitoring.
Comprehensive Pre-Treatment Testing
Initial bloodwork is focused on diagnosing and treating suboptimal hormone levels — total & free testosterone, SHBG, estradiol, LH, FSH, PSA, hematocrit, liver & kidney function. A baseline lipid panel and HbA1c are also assessed on the initial blood work; ongoing cardiovascular and metabolic risk management is then coordinated with your primary care provider.
Expert Clinical Oversight
Every protocol is designed and supervised by our expert team of health care providers. No online questionnaires, no cookie-cutter dosing — just evidence-based medicine tailored to your unique physiology.
Ongoing Monitoring & Dose Optimization
Follow-up bloodwork and consultations every 3 months during the first year of therapy, then twice per year in year two for stable, eligible clients. We track hormone levels, hematocrit, PSA, estradiol, and liver enzymes at each follow-up.
Proactive Risk Mitigation
Estrogen management with aromatase inhibitors when needed, hematocrit monitoring with therapeutic phlebotomy protocols, and clear coordination with your primary care provider for ongoing cardiovascular risk management.
What We Monitor During TRT
Follow-up bloodwork every 3 months during your first year of therapy — and twice per year in year two for stable, eligible clients — keeps your protocol safe and dialed in. These are the core hormone-program markers we track at each follow-up.
Testosterone & Cardiovascular Risk
The relationship between testosterone and cardiovascular health has been one of the most debated topics in men's medicine. Early concerns were driven by a 2010 TOM trial and a retracted 2014 JAMA study — both with significant methodological limitations.
The TRAVERSE trial (2023) — the largest randomized, placebo-controlled study of testosterone therapy to date — followed 5,246 men aged 45–80 with hypogonadism and pre-existing cardiovascular risk for a median of 33 months. The conclusion: testosterone therapy did not increase the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events compared to placebo.
Furthermore, low testosterone itself is independently associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and visceral obesity — all of which are risk factors for heart disease. Restoring testosterone to physiological levels may actually be cardioprotective.
At ReGenesis, baseline cardiovascular and metabolic markers (lipid panel, HbA1c) are assessed on your initial blood work. Ongoing cardiovascular risk management is then coordinated with your primary care provider, while we focus on safely maintaining optimal hormone levels and monitoring hematocrit throughout treatment.
Why Choose ReGenesis for TRT
We believe testosterone therapy should never be prescribed without rigorous diagnostics, clinical oversight, and a commitment to ongoing safety monitoring.
Edmonton — Windermere
Windermere Plaza
213, 5540 Windermere Blvd, Edmonton, AB T6W 2Z8
Calgary — Silk Touch
Silk Touch
1102, 8561 8A Ave SW, Calgary, AB T3H 0V5