Steroids and Cardiomyopathy: How Strong a Connection?

In brief A 41-year-old male former body builder unexpectedly died in his sleep 6 weeks after hospitalization for congestive heart failure. Postmortem evaluation failed to reveal evidence of myocarditis, infiltrative disorder, or myocardial necrosis. However, the patient's history revealed a 3-year continuous use of anabolic-androgenic steroids. Although a direct link cannot be made between his death and his steroid use, animal studies and case reports have connected anabolic-androgenic steroid use with myocardial changes.

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