Activities per year
Abstract
Anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) use has previously been associated with complex polysubstance use that may increase morbidity and mortality among these individuals. In this study we aimed to further describe the features of perimortem polysubstance use, antemortem central nervous system (CNS) drug use and health care service utilization of AAS using males that suffer premature death. The main sample included all cases that were screened for AAS in connection with forensic autopsy between 2016-2019 and tested positive (n = 16). The control samples included autopsy cases that were screened for AAS but tested negative (n = 30) and randomly selected, age and sex matched autopsy cases not suspected of having used AAS but were otherwise fully toxicologically investigated (n = 43). Postmortem toxicological results were used for perimortem polysubstance use prevalence and severity estimation. Antemortem CNS drug use was calculated from a national register of reimbursed prescription medicines, and health care utilization from public health care registers, covering the last five years of life. Perimortem polysubstance use was prevalent in all groups, but the AAS positive had a tendency for greater CNS drug polypharmacy and the highest number of antemortem CNS drug purchases during the last five years of life, with a median of 14.5 purchases/person, vs. 1/person in the AAS negative and 0/person in the random group (Kruskal-Wallis H test, p < .001). Yearly medical contacts increased in all groups as death approached. Our findings suggest that prescription CNS drug use may play a significant role in polysubstance use disorders of AAS using males that suffer premature death.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 111947 |
Journal | Forensic Science International |
Volume | 356 |
Number of pages | 8 |
ISSN | 0379-0738 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2024 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Fields of Science
- Anabolic androgenic steroids
- CNS drug use
- Forensic autopsy
- Polypharmacy
- Polysubstance use
- Postmortem toxicology
- 319 Forensic science and other medical sciences
Activities
- 1 Supervisor or co-supervisor of doctoral thesis
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Dopingin käytön terveyshaitat, assosiaatio päihteiden käyttöön ja elinvaurioihin
Mäyränpää, M. (Supervisor)
2019 → …Activity: Examination types › Supervisor or co-supervisor of doctoral thesis