ReviewDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2021
Forensic Post-Mortem Investigation in AAS Abusers: Investigative Diagnostic Protocol. A Systematic Review.
Review in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Forensic Perspective of Unintentional Doping, Cardiovascular Health, and the Role of Nutrition in Competitive Sports.Nutrients · 2026Pooled it
- Microscopic cardiac pathology in forensic autopsies: a comparative study of anabolic androgenic steroid users and non-users.International journal of legal medicine · 2026Article
- Article
- Adulteration of Sports Supplements with Anabolic Steroids-From Innocent Athlete to Vicious Cheater.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Best Practice Guidance for Male Individuals Using Anabolic Androgenic Steroids in Recreational Sports Within Primary Care: Protocol for a Modified Delphi Consensus Study.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- Forensic approach in cases of anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse and cardiovascular mortality: insights from autopsy, histopathology, immunohistochemistry and toxicology.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2025Review
- Article
- Prediction model for anabolic androgenic steroid positivity in forensic autopsy cases - a new tool to the autopsy room.International journal of legal medicine · 2024Article
- Analysis of the association between testosterone and cardiovascular disease potential risk factor apolipoprotein B in adult males without cancer: national health and nutrition examination survey 2011-2016.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2024Article
- A study to demonstrate the potential of Anabolic Androgen Steroid to activate oxidative tissue damage, nephrotoxicity and decline endogenous antioxidant system in renal tissue of Adult Wistar Rats.Toxicology reports · 2023Article
- Dead Bodybuilders Speaking from the Heart: An Analysis of Autopsy Reports of Bodybuilders That Died Prematurely.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2022Article
- Anabolic-androgenic steroids: How do they work and what are the risks?Frontiers in endocrinology · 2022Review
- Pharmacogenetics and Forensic Toxicology: A New Step towards a Multidisciplinary Approach.Toxics · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) are a group of synthetic molecules derived from testosterone and its precursors. AASs are widely used illicitly by adolescents and athletes, especially by bodybuilders; AASs are among the most used drugs for improving physical performance, as well as for aesthetic purposes. The use of AASs by professional and recreational athletes is increasing worldwide. This review focused on deaths related to AAS abuse and to investigation of the autopsy results and histopathological findings using a rigorous methodology protocol covering: a complete autopsy, histological analysis, and a broad toxicological investigation. Moreover, we aimed to define an investigative diagnostic protocol supporting forensic pathologists during the post-mortem investigation of AAS abusers. This review was conducted using PubMed Central and Google Scholar databases to find articles published between 1 January 1968 and 30 June 2021, using the following key terms: "(anabolic-androgenic steroids) AND (autopsy); (anabolic-androgenic steroids) AND (forensic)". A total of 939 articles were screened and 926 did not meet the inclusion criteria. In conclusion, 14 articles were included in this systematic review, reporting 137 fatal cases of AAS abuse in total. The histopathologic studies showed myocardial damage characterized by myocyte hypertrophy, focal myocyte damage with myofibrillar loss, interstitial fibrosis, mostly subepicardial, and small vessel disease. Indeed, in AAS-related cases, autopsy plays a pivotal role in the study of AAS adverse effects and organ damage related to their use or abuse. This systematic review aimed to define a specific workflow in death cases related to AASs, suggesting important future insights to better clarify sudden deaths related to AASs, such as the use of miRNAs. The forensic community needs a unified approach in cases of suspected death related to the use of AASs. There are several occasions to apply this workflow, for example in cases of death of bodybuilders and of young people who die in gymnasiums or during sports activities.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.