Heart is affected by prolonged steroid use

Prolonged usage of anabolic steroids can lead to various heart problems. It enhances dangers linked with heart failure. These statements have been made due to a research which has been presented in Circulation: Heart Failure, an American Heart Association journal.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids act like the hormone testosterone which occurs naturally and which is responsible for development of male sex characteristics.
The leader of the research Aaron L. Baggish claims that in addition to the fact that anabolic steroids are illegal, they are associated with negative results for health. He notices that it is the first time, when negative effect of long-term administration of steroids on heart is clearly realized.
The research demonstrated that the left ventricle in users of steroids was significantly weaker during contraction than in those who didn’t apply steroids.
A left ventricle that works appropriately pumps out 55-70 % of the blood that fills the heart.
 12 consumers of steroids were implicated in the research. It was demonstrated that the left ventricles of 83 % these steroid users worked improperly: they pumped out less than 55 % of the blood.   Among the examined non-users just one person suffered from problems related to the function of the left ventricle.
The study demonstrated that ventricle relaxation among users of steroids was reduced by circa half. It was 0, 93 among users of steroids; 1, 80 – among non-users. The structure of the left ventricle was similar in both groups: users of steroids and non-users.
It was applied the test “Doppler echocardiography” for examination of function and structure of the left ventricle. This test uses ultrasound for creation of moving pictures of the heart and its blood flow.
 The group of steroid users included 12 weightlifters at the age of about 40 that noted that they used about 675 mg of steroids per week for 9 years. The other group included weightlifters that didn’t take steroids. Both groups had similar physical activity and the same risks linked with heart problems. But they had differences in body weight and muscle size. The users of steroids had more muscular physiques.
Although small number of steroid users has been evaluated, the results have demonstrated that there is a strong connection between intake of steroids and heart impairment.
The specialists decided to conduct further studies in order to support the findings.
Baggish and his co-investigators hope that people will comprehend that administration of steroids can cause heart diseases and various unexplained heart dysfunctions in young people.