Those who administer steroids prolonged time may suffer from heart problems

Prolonged administration of anabolic steroids may lead to various heart diseases. It increases dangers connected with heart failure. These statements have been made due to a study which has been presented in Circulation: Heart Failure, an American Heart Association journal.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids work like the hormone testosterone that occurs naturally and which is responsible for development of male sex characteristics.
The leader of the study Aaron L. Baggish confirms that in addition to the factor that anabolic steroids are illicit, they are associated with negative results for health. He notices that it is the first time, when negative influence of long-term application of steroids on heart is clearly recognized.
The research manifested that the left ventricle in users of steroids was essentially weaker during contraction than in those that didn’t administer steroids.
A left ventricle which works appropriately pumps out 55-70 % of the blood which fills the heart.
 12 users of steroids were implicated in the research. It was displayed 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 experienced problems linked with the function of the left ventricle.
The study manifested that ventricle relaxation among users of steroids was reduced by about half. It was 0, 93 among steroids users; 1, 80 – among non-steroid users. The structure of the left ventricle was the same in both groups: consumers of steroids and non-users.
It was used the technique “Doppler echocardiography” for evaluation 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 twelve weightlifters at the age of about 40 that confirmed that they took about 675 mg of steroids per week for 9 years. The other group included weightlifters who didn’t apply steroids. Both groups had similar physical activity and similar risks linked with heart disorders. But they had differences in body weight and muscle size. The users of steroids had more muscular appearance.
Although small number of steroid users has been included in the research, the results have manifested that there is a strong link between application of steroids and heart impairment.
The experts decided to conduct further studies in order to support the results of this study.
Baggish and his co-investigators suggest that people will realize that administration of steroids may lead to heart diseases and various unexplained heart dysfunctions in young persons.