Cardiomyopathy associated with the use of anabolic androgenic steroids. Case report

Abstract

The use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in supraphysiologic doses is associated with a number of adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. In the presented clinical case, a bodybuilder athlete abusing AAS developed heart failure with a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction of up to 20%. The peculiarity of the case is the recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction under the influence of drug therapy and withdrawal from AAS use with subsequent decrease after resumption of drug intake. In this case, we observed two types of myocardial damage – both ischemic and non-ischemic.

Keywords

• androgenic steroids
• heart failure
• myocardium