What did TRAVERSE establish about cardiovascular events?
1.62% gel targeting 350–750 ng/dL; mean treatment 21.7 months, follow-up 33 months.
The primary cardiovascular event occurred in 7.0% with testosterone and 7.3% with placebo. The trial met its prespecified noninferiority criterion.
Atrial fibrillation, acute kidney injury and pulmonary embolism occurred more often in the testosterone group.
This supports a bounded conclusion about major cardiovascular events in the studied replacement setting.
What might this mean, and what would change the interpretation?
5,246 men aged 45–80 with low testosterone and existing or increased cardiovascular risk. Results do not establish safety at higher exposures or across all formulations.
What would clarify this: Longer follow-up and studies of different exposures and delivery methods.
Findings reviewed · abstract
Checked Sep 15, 2026 against the linked abstract. This reading note is not a formal risk-of-bias appraisal.