Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesCross-sectional study
Elevated interleukin 8 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 levels are associated with myocardial pathology in users of anabolic-androgenic steroids
- Cross-sectional study
Authors' conclusion
Long-term AAS is associated with increased levels of markers of inflammation and ECM remodelling, which seems to have a hormone-dependent (MMP-9) and a hormone-independent (IL-8) association with markers of myocardial dysfunction.
Study context
- Population
- Weightlifters with at least 1-year cumulative anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use (mean 11 ± 7 accumulated years) and non-using weightlifting controls93 AAS users
- Participants
- 62 / 31 / 54
- Exposure
- Current and former AAS users vs non-using weightlifting controls
- Current usersn = 62
- Former usersn = 31
- Weightlifting controls (WLCs)n = 54reference
- Outcome
- Serum inflammatory markers and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling mediators (IL-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interferon (IFN)-γ, GDF-15, MMP-9) and their association with hormones and echocardiographic myocardial pathology
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Serum IL-8, GDF-15 and MMP-9
- Serum IL-8, GDF-15 and MMP-9 significantly increased in current AAS users vs former users and WLCs
- In current users, MMP-9 (not IL-8) correlated consistently with sex hormone levels; sex hormone levels correlated with mean wall thickness
- In current users, MMP-9 and IL-8 correlated with markers of myocardial strain; MMP-9 also with indices of cardiac mass; not seen in former users
- Mediation analyses suggested MMP-9 could partly explain hormone-induced alterations in markers of myocardial damage in current users
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
HDL-C
- HDL-C significantly lower in current vs former AAS users and significantly inversely correlated with MMP-9 in current users
Original publication
Elevated interleukin 8 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 levels are associated with myocardial pathology in users of anabolic-androgenic steroids. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 4 April 2024. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwae126
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it