Men with larger testicles are likely to develop high blood pressure, heart disease

Men with large testicles are more likely to develop heart disease, new research has revealed.

They are also more likely to be hospitalised with heart problems and tend to be heavier, drink more alcohol, and to have higher blood pressure.


Researchers at the University of Florence believe that their findings could suggest that having large testicles is a sign of ill health, and that it could be used as a way of predicting heart disease risk.

However they did not go as far as specifying what constituted 'large' testicles.

Giulia Rasterelli, who led the study, told The Telegraph: ‘Although it is generally assumed that testis size can predict reproductive fitness, our results indicate that this objective parameter can provide insights also on overall health and cardiovascular disease risk.

‘Further studies are needed for clarifying determinants and mechanisms of testis enlargement that could mediate the increased incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events.’

The scientists studied 2,809 men who attended sexual health clinics.

They recorded the size of the men’s testicles and tested their hormone levels before tracking their health for seven years.

During this time period, they found that the men with bigger testicles were more likely to develop heart disease.

They also discovered that the men with larger testicles tended to have higher levels of the hormone, luteinising hormone, which is known to affect testicle size.

The scientists believe that this hormone could be damaging to the heart.

The scientists were surprised by the results as previous research has suggested that men with larger testicles are more fertile which is generally perceive to be a sign of good health.

The researchers accept that their study was based on men who had problems with sexual dysfunction and that, therefore, their findings may not apply to all men.