Androgenic anabolic steroid, cocaine and amphetamine abuse and adverse cardiovascular effects

Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), a synthetic derivate of testosterone, have become a popular drug among athletes and bodybuilders to enhance muscle mass and improve the athletic performance. Many pathological effects such as hepatic and endocrine dysfunction, behavioural changes and cardiovascular complications have been reported.

Within these ast ones, we find an increase in left ventricular muscle mass, concentric myocardial hypertrophy, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, arterial hypertension, prothrombotic effects, changes in the concentration of cholesterol levels, particularly a reduction in HDL cholesterol concentration, myocardial infarctions in relation to endothelial dysfunction, vasospasms or thrombosis and sudden cardiac death.

We report the case of a 32-year-old patient with a history of arterial hypertension, depressive syndrome and consumption of cocaine, amphetamines and AAS who developed severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction and myocardial hypertrophy with signs of heart failure and peripheral arterial embolism.