A British man in his late 70s was left gobsmacked after suddenly growing breasts, doctors revealed the bizarre side effect was triggered by a common heart medication
A man in his late 70s was left stunned after growing breasts. His bizarre condition developed due to a common heart medication, even though he had been taking the treatment for several years.
A 76-year-old had been experiencing tender, swelling breast tissue for the past eight months. Doctors consequently found that he was suffering from gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia is the non-cancerous enlargement of breast tissue in males, caused by an imbalance of hormones (estrogen and testosterone), leading to swollen or enlarged breasts, sometimes with soreness or a lump under the nipple. It iss common during puberty, aging, and from certain medications or health conditions.
The man’s diagnosis was reportedly traced to a medication he’d been taking for several years; spironolactone. The drug is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the US (in the UK, it’s also widely used under the same name), with more than 12 million prescriptions overall.
While FDA-approved (approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the US medicines regulator) to treat cardiovascular issues like high blood pressure as well as hormone-related conditions in men, the drug does come with risks, the New York Post reported. Many of the side effects are common, including dehydration, dizziness, headache or fatigue (tiredness).
Other side effects, such as breast tenderness or the development of gynecomastia, can catch men off guard when taking this medication. However, these less common reactions aren’t unheard of, with studies showing that around 10% of men may notice breast growth.
This happens because the drug lowers levels of male hormones like testosterone, while this can help with certain female conditions, in men it can result in unwanted breast enlargement.
It’s worth noting that at some point, up to half of all men may experience some degree of breast tissue growth.
In many cases, the issue may resolve on its own, but if a medication is to blame, doctors usually recommend adjusting the dose or switching to a different treatment. Gynecomastia treatment focuses on identifying the cause.
It often involves waiting for puberty-related cases to resolve, addressing underlying conditions, stopping contributing medications, or losing weight, with medications like Tamoxifen used in some hormonal cases.
If non-surgical methods fail or for significant tissue, surgical options like liposuction (for fat) or mastectomy/excision (for gland tissue) are effective, often combined, to create a flatter chest contour.
Nevertheless, surgery isn’t usually available on the NHS unless there’s a severe underlying medical reason, requiring private treatment in most cases.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .