![\"Upper](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/76-year-old-man-coronary-117401178.jpg\")
A 76-year-old man unexpectedly grew breasts after taking a medication for several years to treat heart failure. New England Journal of Medicine<\/p>\n
After experiencing tender, swelling breast tissue for the past eight months, the cause of the 76-year-old\u2019s diagnosis<\/a> was from a medication he\u2019d been taking for several years \u2014 spironolactone.<\/p>\n The drug is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the US, with more than 12 million prescriptions<\/a> overall.<\/p>\n While FDA-approved<\/a> to treat cardiovascular issues like high blood pressure as well as hormone-related conditions in men, the drug does come with risks.<\/p>\n Many of the side effects are common, including dehydration, dizziness, headache or fatigue.<\/p>\n Others, like breast tenderness or increased growth of breast tissue, may not be what men expect when taking this drug. But these more rare effects are not entirely unusual, with a reported 10% of men<\/a> seeing breast growth.<\/p>\n This is because the medication decreases male sex hormone production \u2014 like testosterone \u2014 which can promote hair growth in women, but also lead to larger breasts in men.<\/p>\n And at least\u00a0half of all men<\/a>\u00a0will have enlarged breast tissue at some point in their lives. For some, the condition can resolve iteself. But when it\u2019s caused by medication, the best course of action to reduce breast growth is by changing the drug dose or stopping use<\/a> and switching to a new medication.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, men who deal with gynecomastia not from medication side effects are increasingly turning to breast reduction surgery<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSince 2020, I\u2019ve definitely seen a steep increase in men doing consultations and going forward with gynecomastia surgery,\u201d\u00a0Dr. Claudia Kim<\/a>, chief medical officer and lead cosmetic surgeon at\u00a0New Look New Life<\/a>\u00a0in Manhattan, previously told The Post.<\/p>\n It\u2019s now the most popular\u00a0plastic surgery<\/a>\u00a0among men in the US, according to the\u00a0American Society of Plastic Surgeons<\/a>. The group reported its doctors performed 26,430 male breast reductions in 2024, up from\u00a020,955 done in 2019<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Surgical intervention can involve liposuction (for excess fat) or an incision (to remove excess glandular tissue). Many men have both, meaning both liposuction and excision are needed.<\/p>\n However, spironolactone continues to be a top treatment for men\u2019s blood pressure.<\/p>\n![\"Orange](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/dramatic-low-key-photograph-capsules-117400125.jpg\")
Spironolactone, prescribed for high blood pressure, hair loss and acne, can increase breast tissue growth in men. wollertz \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n