Decreased T1 Times and Impaired Myocardial Contractility in Anabolic Androgenic Steroids Users

University of Sao Paulo General Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Focal Fibrosis

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance; Diagnostic Test: Transthoracic echocardiography

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03862235

CMR- AnabolicSteroids

Details and patient eligibility

About

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) abuse may have a toxic on myocardium that could lead to cardiac alterations. Clinical cases reported myocardial fibrosis in AAS users. However, recent studies did not find myocardial fibrosis in AAS users using T1-mapping technique. The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac structure by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE), cardiac T1-mapping and extracellular volume (ECV). We also evaluated the cardiac contractility in AAS users.

Full description

Twenty strength-trained AAS users (AASU) age 29±5 yr, 20 age-matched strength-trained AAS nonusers (AASNU), and 10 sedentary controls (SC) were enrolled.

Cardiac structure was assessed by LGE, T1-mapping and ECV. Cardiac contractility was evaluated as cardiac strain by CMR (feature tracking) and echocardiography (speckle tracking)

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Anabolic androgenic steroids users and Anabolic androgenic steroids nonusers groups had been involved in strength training for at least 2 years;
• Anabolic androgenic steroids users should be self-administering anabolic androgenic steroids in periodic cycles lasting from 8 to 12 weeks for at least 2 years with 2-4 cycles per year;
• All anabolic androgenic steroids users were on a cycle over the course of the study;
• Sedentary control group: sedentary men without cardiovascular disease.

Exclusion criteria

• Smoking;
• Alcohol consumption;
• Use of diuretics and/or antihypertensive medications;
• Liver and kidney disease

Trial design

50 participants in 3 patient groups

Anabolic androgenic steroids users

Description:

This group had been involved in strength training for at least 2 years, self-administering anabolic androgenic steroids in periodic cycles lasting from 8 to 12 weeks for at least 2 years with 2-4 cycles per year. All participants were on a cycle over the course of the study. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE), cardiac T1-mapping and extracellular volume (ECV). Cardiac contractility was evaluated as cardiac strain by CMR (feature tracking) and transthoracic echocardiography (speckle tracking).

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Transthoracic echocardiography

Diagnostic Test: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

Anabolic androgenic steroids nonusers

Description:

This group had been involved in strength training for at least 2 years and they have never took anabolic androgenic steroids. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE), cardiac T1-mapping and extracellular volume (ECV). Cardiac contractility was evaluated as cardiac strain by CMR (feature tracking) and transthoracic echocardiography (speckle tracking).

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Transthoracic echocardiography

Diagnostic Test: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

Sedentary control

Description:

This group were sedentary men without cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE), cardiac T1-mapping and extracellular volume (ECV). Cardiac contractility was evaluated as cardiac strain by CMR (feature tracking) and transthoracic echocardiography (speckle tracking).

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: Transthoracic echocardiography

Diagnostic Test: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance