Statins are among the most prescribed medicines in the U.S. They lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke [1, 2]. If you take one, you may have heard they can affect testosterone. Here’s what the research shows.
Do Statins Lower Testosterone?
Slightly. A review of randomized trials found that in middle-aged men with high cholesterol, statins lowered testosterone by an average of 0.66 nmol/L [3], a small drop compared with the normal adult range. Cholesterol is a building block for testosterone, which is one possible reason. Researchers don’t yet know whether this small change matters for most men’s health or symptoms [4].
Should You Stop Your Statin?
No, not without your doctor. In large trials, lowering LDL cholesterol with statins cut major heart attacks, strokes and other vascular events by about a fifth for each 1 mmol/L drop in LDL [2]. For most people who are prescribed one, that benefit far outweighs a small change in testosterone.
What Side Effects Do Statins Have?
Most people have none. They can slightly raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, mainly in people already at high risk, and they can cause muscle aches; serious muscle or liver damage is rare [1]. If you have symptoms, tell your doctor. Switching to a different statin often helps.
What You Can Do
- Keep taking your statin as prescribed, and talk with your doctor if you notice low energy, low sex drive or other changes.
- Ask whether a testosterone blood test makes sense, ideally taken in the morning, when levels are highest.
- Support healthy cholesterol and testosterone together: lose excess weight, exercise regularly, sleep well and limit alcohol. See Does Working Out Increase Testosterone? and How Can Men Lose Belly Fat?
- If you take a supplement such as Andro400, tell your doctor and pharmacist, and take it as directed on the label. It is not a substitute for any prescribed medicine.
Wondering whether your levels are low? Read How to Tell If You Have Low Testosterone.
About the ANDRO400 Editorial Team
The ANDRO400 Editorial Team develops educational content focused on men’s health, healthy aging, natural testosterone support, energy, strength, and body composition. Our content draws on published research and established health information to provide clear, practical resources that help men better understand the changes that can occur with age and make more informed decisions about their health.
References
- MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Statins. https://medlineplus.gov/statins.html
- Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ (CTT) Collaboration. Efficacy and safety of more intensive lowering of LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of data from 170,000 participants in 26 randomised trials. Lancet. 2010;376(9753):1670–1681. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61350-5
- Schooling CM, Au Yeung SL, Freeman G, Cowling BJ. The effect of statins on testosterone in men and women, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Medicine. 2013;11:57. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-57
- Sniderman AD, Thanassoulis G. Do statins lower testosterone and does it matter? BMC Medicine. 2013;11:58. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-58