Study shows having large testicles could be a sign of health issues

Does size really matter? According to a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, it does... But it's not exactly what you think.

Size of testicles linked to heart disease

According to this study conducted by a group of scientists from the University of Florence (Italy), the size of your testicles (not your penis) has an influence on your likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases. The study found that those who had larger testicles also tended to be fatter, and have high blood pressure, which can also be linked to heart problems.

To reach this conclusion, the Italian researchers measured the testicles of 2,809 men aged 51 years on average and tested their hormones. Following the first phase of analysis, 1,395 of them were observed over a period of 7 years.

The results revealed that those with the largest sex glands often had risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as obesity, smoking, or hypertension. These diseases tend to lower testosterone levels and increase the rate of luteinizing hormone, which stimulates testosterone production by the testes and can, therefore, have detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. Giulia Rasterelli, leader of the study at the sexual medicine and andrology unit at the University of Florence, Italy, revealed:

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.

We thought having bigger testes was a good thing?

However, the study was conducted on men that had previously visited a health clinic for sexual dysfunction issues, so maybe the study doesn't apply to the wider public. Rasterelli continued:

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

Others involved in the study claimed that it was strange to find a link between larger testicles and poor health, as features such as this are more often linked to higher fertility rates.

Guess you won't be bragging about having the biggest package anymore, huh?