Federal drug regulators issued a class-wide labeling update for all testosterone replacement therapy products, removing warnings about the risks of heart attack and strokes, and replacing them with warnings about high blood pressure, following the completion of several key studies that examined risks associated with the hormone treatments.

When testosterone drugs were initially introduced, they were focused primarily on men who experienced drops in testosterone levels linked to a condition known as hypogonadism. However, once the medications were approved, drug makers began aggressively marketing the niche treatments for normal symptoms associated with aging, resulting in widespread use for a non-medical condition advertised as “low T.”

Prescriptions for the drugs increased more than 300% between 2001 and 2013. However, concerns emerged about the widespread overprescription of drugs like AndroGel, Axiron, Testim, Depo-Testosterone and other gels, creams, patches and injections, after studies found that side effects of testosterone replacement therapy may increase the rate of heart attacks and strokes.

However, in a press release issued on February 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it is removing the testosterone heart attack and stroke warnings that were added to the drugs about a decade ago, indicating that more recent studies have found little evidence of a connection between heart problems and testosterone treatments. Instead, the agency called for new label warnings regarding the risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks and heart failure.