Testosterone and your doctor

[kandaandm]

So I moved and changed my primary care physician. My new primary care physician told me that when one injects testosterone it can increase the plaque in your arteries.

He told me that if you were to compare a steroid users arteries to a non steroid user that you would find a huge difference in the plaque build up in the arteries.

What do you guys think? Any real world experience or additional info?

 

[GoneForFuckinEver2]

knock on wood, i had all kind of tests done within the last six months because of high cholesterol. it was due to androgens. i can't remember the name of the test but it was basically an ultrasound of my heart and surrounding arteries and veins. not a bit of plaque. none. 100% clean. now, not everyone will be the same but that is my experience and i've done my fair share. they did find that my cholesterol was basically hereditary and i have a slight heart murmur which is also hereditary.

 

[maldorf]

So I moved and changed my primary care physician. My new primary care physician told me that when one injects testosterone it can increase the plaque in your arteries.

He told me that if you were to compare a steroid users arteries to a non steroid user that you would find a huge difference in the plaque build up in the arteries.

What do you guys think? Any real world experience or additional info?

Pretty sure there isnt any research to prove this. One thing though that test will do is lower your HDL significantly and this is what is thought to keep your vessels clean of plaque. My HDl was always severely low, like 14.

 

[NightWanderer]

My dr. warned me aginst bad cholesterol levels in general with AAS use, but never made mention of anything lasting or permanent that could happen to my arteries or anything.

 

[kandaandm]

Dr also told me that testosterone will enlarge your heart.

 

[Beachmuscle]

Maybe due to ancillaries raising cholesterol????

Ask him for the study reference, he may just be quoting misinformation.... Doctors are not as smart as they think they are when it involves endicrinology... especially General Practioners.

 

[Dado5]

My dr. asked me if i can get him some anavar He was never against setroids unless you abuse them

 

[Ivanko]

Dr also told me that testosterone will enlarge your heart.

Like beachmuscle said and I've come to realize in my dealings with them, GPs are not that smart. Their only purpose is to give referrals... like a middle man between you and the REAL doctors.

 

[Beachmuscle]

Exactly, my doctor referred me to an Endicrinologist after doing my bloodwork.

It was above his scope of knowledge for HRT.

On the same note, if your Doctor is open minded, and cares about maintaining his level of competency, he would be open to reading any published medical literature you could provide for him to educate him further.

It is a Doctor's responsibility to continue to upgrade their education according to the latest research/findings, some just get lazy.

 

[machola]

i agree with the doc. testosterone injections negatively affect cholesterol levels which is linked to forming plague in arteries. as for the heart enlargement from aas it is a well known fact that aas use will enlarge the heart. everyone should know this stuff before injecting aas imo. if it was regulated like cigarettes the surgeon general would have it on every amp.

Are the cardiac effects of anabolic steroid abuse in strength athletes reversible?
A Urhausen, T Albers, W Kindermann

Institute of Sports and Preventive Medicine, University of Saarland Saarbruecken, Germany

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Urhausen Axel
Institute of Sports and Preventive Medicine, University of Saarland, 66041 Saarbruecken, Germany; [email protected]

Objective: To investigate the reversibility of adverse cardiovascular effects after chronic abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in athletes.

Methods: Doppler echocardiography and cycle ergometry including measurements of blood pressure at rest and during exercise were undertaken in 32 bodybuilders or powerlifters, including 15 athletes who had not been taking AAS for at least 12 months (ex-users) and 17 currently abusing AAS (users), as well as in 15 anabolic-free weightlifters.

Results: Systolic blood pressure was higher in users (mean (SD) 140 (10) mm Hg) than in ex-users (130 (5) mm Hg) (p < 0.05) or weightlifters (125 (10) mm Hg; p < 0.001). Left ventricular muscle mass related to fat-free body mass and the ratio of mean left ventricular wall thickness to internal diameter were not significantly higher in users (3.32 (0.48) g/kg and 42.1 (4.4)%) than in ex-users (3.16 (0.53) g/kg and 40.3 (3.8)%), but were lower in weightlifters (2.43 (0.26) g/kg and 36.5 (4.0)%; p < 0.001). Left ventricular wall thickness related to fat-free body mass was also lower in weightlifters, but did not differ between users and ex-users. Left ventricular wall thickness was correlated with a point score estimating AAS abuse in users (r = 0.49, p < 0.05). In all groups, systolic left ventricular function was within the normal range. The maximum late transmitral Doppler flow velocity (Amax) was higher in users (61 (12) cm/s) and ex-users (60 (12) cm/s) than in weightlifters (50 (9) cm/s; p < 0.05 and p = 0.054).

Conclusions: Several years after discontinuation of anabolic steroid abuse, strength athletes still show a slight concentric left ventricular hypertrophy in comparison with AAS-free strength athletes.

 

[maldorf]

i agree with the doc. testosterone injections negatively affect cholesterol levels which is linked to forming plague in arteries. as for the heart enlargement from aas it is a well known fact that aas use will enlarge the heart. everyone should know this stuff before injecting aas imo. if it was regulated like cigarettes the surgeon general would have it on every amp.

An enlarged heart can very easily be connectioned to use of AAS. One obvious cause would be high blood pressure associated with its use. Ive had pretty highly respected cardiologists tell me that these drugs can change the metabolism of the heart and this leads to cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the result where the heart is larger than usual and cant pump efficiently and becomes what they call hypokinetic . Hypokenetic meaning that the wall motion is much less than it should be, becomes stiff.

 

[Stupes]

The theory that elevated lipids leads to heart disease started back in the mid 19th century. The mechanism for "bad cholesterol" inducing plaque buildup is unknown. "Good cholesterol" was proven to actually heal scares in the artery walls. It is my suspicion that this so called "bad cholesterol" does not create plaque. It is an old wives tale that now has 100's of billions of dollars riding on it. I have heard the ollowing analogy - do you blame the firefighters for a fire? Well they are always around fires so they must be causing them! Stupid. But this is what the "bad cholesterol" theory is built upon. I suspect both cholesterol types work symetrically to heal artery walls among other base needs like being the foundation of the male hormonal system. One is not "bad" and the other "good". Someday people will look back and think we were all idiots for believing in the "evil" cholesterol.

But this won't be until the drug industry runs this sham into the ground.

 

[Wallace]

i agree with the doc. testosterone injections negatively affect cholesterol levels which is linked to forming plague in arteries.

It all depends on dosage. Are you talking about replacement or performance enhancing ones?

Wallace

 

[testi1969]

geeesh!!! getting palpatations.....

 

[Tom]

agree 100 %

The theory that elevated lipids leads to heart disease started back in the mid 19th century. The mechanism for "bad cholesterol" inducing plaque buildup is unknown. "Good cholesterol" was proven to actually heal scares in the artery walls. It is my suspicion that this so called "bad cholesterol" does not create plaque. It is an old wives tale that now has 100's of billions of dollars riding on it. I have heard the ollowing analogy - do you blame the firefighters for a fire? Well they are always around fires so they must be causing them! Stupid. But this is what the "bad cholesterol" theory is built upon. I suspect both cholesterol types work symetrically to heal artery walls among other base needs like being the foundation of the male hormonal system. One is not "bad" and the other "good". Someday people will look back and think we were all idiots for believing in the "evil" cholesterol.

But this won't be until the drug industry runs this sham into the ground.

more likely a result of high homocystiene levels than cholesterol.

 

[Wallace]

The theory that elevated lipids leads to heart disease started back in the mid 19th century. The mechanism for "bad cholesterol" inducing plaque buildup is unknown. "Good cholesterol" was proven to actually heal scares in the artery walls. It is my suspicion that this so called "bad cholesterol" does not create plaque. It is an old wives tale that now has 100's of billions of dollars riding on it. I have heard the ollowing analogy - do you blame the firefighters for a fire? Well they are always around fires so they must be causing them! Stupid. But this is what the "bad cholesterol" theory is built upon. I suspect both cholesterol types work symetrically to heal artery walls among other base needs like being the foundation of the male hormonal system. One is not "bad" and the other "good". Someday people will look back and think we were all idiots for believing in the "evil" cholesterol.

But this won't be until the drug industry runs this sham into the ground.

This is very interesting... BUT, in real life, people with high LDL cholesterol and high ratio LDL/HDL cholesterol DO get more atherosclerosis with all its consequences (heart, kidney, brain, etc etc) than people with low LDL and low LDL/HDL ratio.

Therefore, while we wait for som new revolutionary approach to the issue, with new guidelines on how to interpret our blodd work, I personally think we should stick to these absolutely unconfutable evidence.


Wallace

 

[Quad-smack]

I think most people on PH's and super supplements would do well to add the following to their supplement routine for heart health:
Nicotinic Acid (crystalline Niacin): 500mg / day minimum - raises HDL's
Fish Oil: 5 - 10g /day - reduces triglycerides
Red Yeast Rice: 1200mg / day - Lowers LDL's (most potent brands: Nature's Plus & Hi Tech)
Folic Acid: 400mcg / day - reduces Homocystine
Vitamin D3: 1000iu softgel / day - too many benefits to list, read Massive G's thread.
All of the above cost me just slightly more than $1 / day. I plan on living long enough to see my Grandchildren give my daughter what she has given us. LOL
I'm having my annual blood test done at the end of the month and will post the results with a comparison from last year when I wasn't using the above supplements.

 

[Wallace]

I'm having my annual blood test done at the end of the month and will post the results with a comparison from last year when I wasn't using the above supplements.

I'm looking forward to reading the results

Wallace

 

[Tough Old Man]

My dr. asked me if i can get him some anavar He was never against setroids unless you abuse them

If this is a true statement, then this Dr. needs his Lic revoked..~!

 

[Ashop]

So I moved and changed my primary care physician. My new primary care physician told me that when one injects testosterone it can increase the plaque in your arteries.

He told me that if you were to compare a steroid users arteries to a non steroid user that you would find a huge difference in the plaque build up in the arteries.

What do you guys think? Any real world experience or additional info?

You could ask him where the medical proof of this is. I've not seen those studies.