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Toxicological findings and manner of death in autopsied users of anabolic androgenic steroids

Petersson, A ; Garle, M ; Holmgren, P ; Druid, H ; Krantz, Peter LU and Thiblin, I (2006) In Drug and Alcohol Dependence 81(3). p.241-249
Abstract
With the aim to characterize patterns in toxicological profile and manner of death in deceased users of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), a retrospective autopsy protocol study of 52 deceased users of AAS was undertaken. The AAS users were compared to 68 deceased users of amphetamine and/or heroin who were consecutively tested and found to be negative for AAS. Use of AAS was in the majority of cases (79%) associated with concomitant use of psychotropic substances. AAS-related deaths differed in several respects from deaths among users of heroin or amphetamine, most strikingly with regard to: (a) the median age at death, which was significantly lower for AAS users (24.5 years) than for users of heroin and/or amphetamine (34 and 40 years,... (More)
With the aim to characterize patterns in toxicological profile and manner of death in deceased users of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), a retrospective autopsy protocol study of 52 deceased users of AAS was undertaken. The AAS users were compared to 68 deceased users of amphetamine and/or heroin who were consecutively tested and found to be negative for AAS. Use of AAS was in the majority of cases (79%) associated with concomitant use of psychotropic substances. AAS-related deaths differed in several respects from deaths among users of heroin or amphetamine, most strikingly with regard to: (a) the median age at death, which was significantly lower for AAS users (24.5 years) than for users of heroin and/or amphetamine (34 and 40 years, respectively); (b) the manner of death, with AAS users dying significantly more often from homicide or suicide than users of other drugs; and (c) the body mass index (BMI), with AAS users exhibiting significantly higher BMI than users of other drugs. These results support the earlier reported association between use of AAS and use of other psychoactive substances. In addition, the data suggest that AAS users are more likely to become involved in incidents leading to violent death and have a higher risk of dying at a younger age than users of other drugs. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
illegal drugs, anabolic androgenic steroids, death, autopsy
in
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
volume
81
issue
3
pages
241 - 249
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000235758200005
  • pmid:16137840
  • scopus:31444455493
ISSN
1879-0046
DOI
10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.07.003
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Health Economics and Forensic Medicine (Closed 2012) (013040050)
id
6459f26b-b457-4605-8450-22e0fa3eed9e (old id 416837)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:41:41
date last changed
2022-03-28 01:42:24
@article{6459f26b-b457-4605-8450-22e0fa3eed9e,
  abstract     = {{With the aim to characterize patterns in toxicological profile and manner of death in deceased users of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), a retrospective autopsy protocol study of 52 deceased users of AAS was undertaken. The AAS users were compared to 68 deceased users of amphetamine and/or heroin who were consecutively tested and found to be negative for AAS. Use of AAS was in the majority of cases (79%) associated with concomitant use of psychotropic substances. AAS-related deaths differed in several respects from deaths among users of heroin or amphetamine, most strikingly with regard to: (a) the median age at death, which was significantly lower for AAS users (24.5 years) than for users of heroin and/or amphetamine (34 and 40 years, respectively); (b) the manner of death, with AAS users dying significantly more often from homicide or suicide than users of other drugs; and (c) the body mass index (BMI), with AAS users exhibiting significantly higher BMI than users of other drugs. These results support the earlier reported association between use of AAS and use of other psychoactive substances. In addition, the data suggest that AAS users are more likely to become involved in incidents leading to violent death and have a higher risk of dying at a younger age than users of other drugs. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Petersson, A and Garle, M and Holmgren, P and Druid, H and Krantz, Peter and Thiblin, I}},
  issn         = {{1879-0046}},
  keywords     = {{illegal drugs; anabolic androgenic steroids; death; autopsy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{241--249}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Drug and Alcohol Dependence}},
  title        = {{Toxicological findings and manner of death in autopsied users of anabolic androgenic steroids}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.07.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.07.003}},
  volume       = {{81}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}