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Sudden or Unnatural Deaths Involving Anabolic‐androgenic Steroids
Author(s) -
Darke Shane,
Torok Michelle,
Duflou Johan
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12424
Subject(s) - medicine , stanozolol , testosterone (patch) , cause of death , anabolism , forensic toxicology , nandrolone , anabolic steroid , spermatogenesis , physiology , endocrinology , disease , chemistry , chromatography
Anabolic‐androgenic steroids ( AASs ) are frequently misused. To determine causes of death, characteristics, toxicology, and pathology of AAS positive cases, all cases ( n = 24) presenting to the N ew S outh W ales D epartment of F orensic M edicine (1995–2012) were retrieved. All were male, and the mean age was 31.7 years. Deaths were mainly due to accidental drug toxicity (62.5%), then suicide (16.7%) and homicide (12.5%). Abnormal testosterone/epitestosterone ratios were reported in 62.5%, followed by metabolites of nandrolone (58.3%), stanozolol (33.3%), and methandienone (20.8%). In 23 of 24 cases, substances other than steroids were detected, most commonly psychostimulants (66.7%). In nearly half, testicular atrophy was noted, as was testicular fibrosis and arrested spermatogenesis. Left ventricular hypertrophy was noted in 30.4%, and moderate to severe narrowing of the coronary arteries in 26.1%. To summarize, the typical case was a male polydrug user aged in their thirties, with death due to drug toxicity. Extensive cardiovascular disease was particularly notable.