Men with genetic predisposition to high testosterone levels could be at increased risk of developing blood clots and heart failure, a study has found.

The study, led by City University of New York researchers, aimed to determine whether endogenous testosterone has a causal role in blood clots (thromboembolism), heart failure and heart attack (myocardial infarction).

They found endogenous testosterone was positively associated with thromboembolism, heart failure, and myocardial infarction in men.

The findings, published by The BMJ, can also have implications for men who take testosterone supplements to boost energy levels and sex drive, said Mary Schooling, Professor at the varsity.

Endogenous testosterone can be controlled with existing treatments and could be a modifiable risk factor for thromboembolism and heart failure, she noted.

"We need to be thinking of new directions for reducing heart disease and this is one way of doing it," Schooling was quoted as saying to The Guardian.

She pointed out that statins, which are used to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, have been found to lower testosterone levels.

"To protect men we should be looking at treatments and lifestyles which are more on the side of keeping testosterone lower rather than higher," she said.

For the study, researchers included almost four lakh men and women aged 40 to 75 years.

The associations were found less obvious in women. (IANS)