Testosterone to oestradiol ratio reflects systemic and plaque inflammation and predicts future cardiovascular events in men with severe atherosclerosis

摘要

Aims The effects of testosterone on cardiovascular disease (CVD) as reported in literature have been ambiguous. Recently, the interplay between testosterone and oestradiol as assessed by testosterone/oestradiol (T/E2) ratio was suggested to be better informative on the normal physiological balance. Considering the role in CVD, we hypothesized that a low T/E2 ratio in men with CVD is associated with increased inflammation, a more unstable plaque and a worse cardiovascular outcome.