Anabolic androgenic steroids may increase risk of cardiovascular disease reveals Long term follow-up study

A new study published in the journal of Circulation showed that the use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) has been linked in a large cohort with a lengthy follow-up period to a significantly elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.

Increased mortality is linked to the use of anabolic androgenic steroids, and case studies indicate that cardiovascular illness may be the cause of some of these fatalities. Yet, nothing is known about the prevalence of cardiovascular illness among AAS users. Thus, to evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease among male AAS users with that of a general population cohort that was matched by age and sex, Josefine Windfeld-Mathiasen and colleagues undertook this study.

50 times the number of controls from the general Danish population were matched for age and sex with men who had been sanctioned for using AAS at Danish fitness facilities between 2006 and 2018 as part of an antidoping program. The group remained under observation until June 30, 2023. This study collected data on hospitalizations, prescriptions, length of schooling, and occupational status for both the AAS users and controls using the national registries. The incidence of ischemic stroke, arrhythmia, venous thromboembolism, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrest, heart failure, percutaneous coronary intervention, acute myocardial infarction, or coronary artery bypass graft was examined in this investigation.

AAS users (n=1189) showed a substantially increased incidence of multiple cardiovascular events throughout an average follow-up period of 11 years when compared to controls (n=59,450). Accordingly, AASs were linked to a higher risk of heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, venous thromboembolism, acute myocardial infarction, and percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft. These outcomes were not reportable as there were so few incidences of ischemic stroke and cardiac arrest among AAS users.

Overall, AAS use is linked to a significant risk of cardiovascular illness, which includes an increased risk of heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, coronary intervention, venous thromboembolism, and acute myocardial infarction. Together, these results demonstrate the cardiovascular burden linked to AAS misuse and stress the significance of long-term monitoring to completely comprehend the range of hazards. Future clinical initiatives should concentrate on educating medical practitioners about the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among AAS users. 

Source:

Windfeld-Mathiasen, J., Heerfordt, I. M., Dalhoff, K. P., Trærup Andersen, J., Andersen, M. A., Johansson, K. S., Biering-Sørensen, T., Olsen, F. J., & Horwitz, H. (2025). Cardiovascular disease in anabolic androgenic steroid users. Circulation. https://doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.124.071117