- Ultrasound scans in a US study showed the hearts of steroid users were weaker
- Drug causes artery-clogging, higher blood pressure and raised cholesterol
- There is an alarming rise in middle-aged men taking the drugs, an expert warns
- Previous research has linked steroid use to reduced sperm count and infertility
Claudia Tanner For Mailonline
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Long-term use of muscle-building anabolic steroids may weaken the functioning of the heart, an alarming study shows.
Use of the drug appears to contribute to artery-clogging, a team of US scientists have discovered.
It was also linked to elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels – both risk factors for heart disease.
It serves as a stark warning to the millions across the globe who use the substance.
And recent research suggests there is a worrying growing trend among middle-aged men taking the drug commonly used by bodybuilders.
‘It is critical that clinicians become aware of the long-term risks of anabolic steroid use on the heart,’ said Dr Harrison Pope Jr, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and co-lead author of the study.
Dangerous: The US study results are alarming especially given the rising numbers of men over 40 who are reportedly taking steroids in a bid to boost their looks and libido
Anabolic steroids are manufactured drugs that mimic the effects of the male hormone testosterone.
There are an estimated 2.9 million to 4 million steroid users in Americans, the researchers said.
In the UK, Home Office figures show 60,000 people used the drug in the UK in 2014, but experts claims the number is far higher and is closer to one million.
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In an attempt to have the same shape they had in their youth, have more energy and a higher libido, tens of thousands of desperate men over 40 are taking steroids, according to Joseph Kean, chairman of a public health group on steroid use in Yorkshire and Humberside.
For the new study, the team tracked 140 male weight-lifters – 86 had used anabolic steroids and 54 had not. Of the steroid users, 28 had stopped using before the assessments.
The researchers used ultrasound scans which showed that the hearts of the steroid users were weaker.
ARE ANABOLIC STEROIDS LEGAL?
Anabolic steroids are class C drugs, which can only be sold by pharmacists with a prescription.
It’s not illegal to possess anabolic steroids for personal use.
They can also be imported or exported, as long as this is carried out in person.
This means they can’t be posted or delivered by a courier or freight service.
However, it’s illegal to possess, import or export anabolic steroids if it’s believed you’re supplying or selling them.
This includes giving them to friends. The penalty is an unlimited fine, or even a prison sentence.
In professional sport, most organisations ban anabolic steroid use and test competitors for banned steroids.
Source: NHS Choices
Current steroid users had lower heart-pumping capacity than those who had stopped using them, they found.
A shocking seven out of 10 had a low pumping capacity (less than 52 percent), according to the report, which was published in the journal Circulation.
In contrast, those who had stopped using steroids or had never taken them had normal pumping capacity.
‘Compared to non-users, anabolic steroid users displayed both higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as a higher prevalence of levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol in their blood,’ said study co-lead author Dr Aaron Baggish, who is associate director of the cardiovascular performance program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
‘This finding places illicit anabolic steroid use on the list of factors clinicians should consider when caring for men with premature disease of the coronary arteries.’
The researchers also recognize that not all steroid users are typical body-builder types.
‘Most people relate anabolic steroids to cheating among athletes and fail to realize that there is a large population of men who have developed dependence upon these drugs, but who are not readily visible,’ Dr Pope said.
‘The oldest members of this population are only now reaching middle age.’
According to NHS Choices, effects of anabolic steroids in men can include reduced sperm count, infertility, shrunken testicles, erectile dysfunction and breast development.
They also also risking baldness, increased risk of developing prostate cancer, severe acne and stomach pain.
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