Cardiovascular Risks with Anabolic Steroids | Steroids Cause Stiff Blood Vessels

Blood pressure in the circulation rises and falls as the heart contracts and relaxes. Blood vessels expand as pressure increases from blood pumped from the heart, As the heart relaxes, the vessels recoil, much like a stretched rubber band.

British researchers found that blood vessel reactivity (recoil capacity) was lower in bodybuilders who used anabolic steroids, compared to bodybuilders who stopped using steroids for three months, bodybuilders who never used steroids and untrained control subjects. The steroid group had higher levels of hemoglobin, testosterone and estrogen and lower levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

There were no differences between groups in blood pressure,These results, while interesting, don't mean that steroids are bad for the heart. No study has shown that anabolic steroids increase the risk of heart attack, coronary artery disease or sudden death. Many experts claim that steroids damage the heart and circulation, but haven't backed up their opinions with data.