The use – illegal of course – of androgenic anabolic steroids (SAA) in order to increase muscle mass has become a social phenomenon in certain athletes or people attending the sports halls. But at what price! Cardiovascular effects, early heart failure, serious arrhythmias, sudden dead …[1]
Individual high performance objectives associated with social pressure significantly contribute to the initiation and maintenance of steroid consumption, while reducing the perception of risk. And often, these molecules are coupled with other substances for improving performance but which potentiate cardiovascular risk (CV). [2]
The prolonged use of SAA induces cardiac remodeling: myocardial hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis and ventricular modifications. In addition, it is at the origin of an excessive protein synthesis in cardiomyocytes, resulting in disproportionate cellular growth and then subsequent fibrosis of the ventricular walls. This unsuitable remodeling disturbs the uniformity of heart conduction, promoting the appearance of re -entrant circuits and conduction blocks predisposing to fatal arrhythmias. In addition to structural reshaping, Saa’s abuse can cause serious metabolic disorders: dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and lipid profile modifications, which also contribute significantly to CV diseases. [3]
Do you know the threshold of steroids inducing myocardial fibrosis as well as the consequences of the use of Saa? Here is a point in the medical literature on the subject in order to make your young patients aware of the risk of sudden death.
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Cite this article: Quiz: Mesusage of steroids and risk of sudden death – Medscape – August 5, 2025.
