Young men dying from heart disease linked to steroid use

Men in their late 20s and early 30s who abuse steroids are dying from serious heart disease, a study has revealed.

But researchers say increasing numbers of steroid users are oblivious to the severe health risks linked to performance-enhancing drugs, including cardiovascular disease, reproductive failure, liver damage and high levels of aggression.

Nearly all men showed obvious signs of chronic steroid abuse, including overdeveloped muscles and shrunken, scarred testicles

The irony is that steroid users are often health-oriented, but they're using a drug that is damaging their bodies to the point it could kill.

The study examined 24 deaths in men aged 22 to 48 over the past 17 years where steroids were found in the system of the person who had died. Nearly all men - most employed as personal trainers, body builders and security guards - showed obvious signs of chronic steroid abuse, including overdeveloped muscles and shrunken, scarred testicles.

These men are doing major damage to their hearts and are substantially increasing their risk of death. For a very young group in their early 30s, their cardiac health looks like what you would expect of someone twice their age. More than half the men analysed had shrunken testicles, which is likely to impair the reproductive system.

While steroids were not the direct cause of death, 62.5 per cent of men died from taking toxic amounts of steroids together with other illicit drugs - including cocaine and methamphetamine - either alone or in combination with heart disease. More than half had serious heart disease, including thickened arteries and damaged heart muscles.

About a quarter of deaths were caused by suicide or homicide, which links long-term steroid use with an increased risk of aggressive and violent behaviour.