Increased mortality rate and suicide in Swedish former elite male athletes in power sports

Abstract

Physical training has been shown to reduce mortality in normal subjects, and athletes have a healthier lifestyle after their active career as compared with normal subjects. Since the 1950s, the use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) has been frequent, especially in power sports. The aim of the present study was to investigate mortality, including causes of death, in former Swedish male elite athletes, active 1960-1979, in wrestling, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and the throwing events in track and field when the suspicion of former AAS use was high. Results indicate that, during the age period of 20-50 years, there was an excess mortality of around 45%. However, when analyzing the total study period, the mortality was not increased. Mortality from suicide was increased 2-4 times among the former athletes during the period of 30-50 years of age compared with the general population of men. Mortality rate from malignancy was lower among the athletes. As the use of AAS was marked between 1960 and 1979 and was not doping-listed until 1975, it seems probable that the effect of AAS use might play a part in the observed increased mortality and suicide rate. The otherwise healthy lifestyle among the athletes might explain the low malignancy rates.

All-cause and disease-specific mortality among male, former elite athletes: an average 50-year follow-up

“…Lindqvist et al ,9 in a recent study on power sports athletes, reported an increased risk for premature death by suicide among powerlifters suspected of using anabolic agents 10. Our former elite athletes primarily competed between 1920 and 1965 when use of anabolic agents in Finland was rare 11.…”

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy and risk of suicide in former athletes

“…Most years, for example, a former major league baseball player commits suicide (as tracked on several websites; eg, http://www.thedeadballera.com/suicides.html). Suicide is a societal problem—a problem that affects athletes in non-contact sports, such as cricket, baseball, power lifting and track and field throwing events 24 54–56. Clinicians should have higher levels of concern when known risk factors accumulate.…”

“…It was also associated with increased lifetime risk for back pain and depression. In a recently published study of retired Swedish elite male athletes, the authors reported that past steroid use was associated with increased future risk of suicide in former wrestlers, power lifters, Olympic lifters and those in track and field throwing events 24. In a small prior study, a possible connection between steroid use and future suicide was reported in Finnish power lifters 25…”

Mortality in Female and Male French Olympians

“…23 The lowest mortality age group corresponds to the years when most Olympians are still active, contrasting with the higher mortality found during cyclists' careers. 24 Most Olympians spend much of their training indoors or in controlled outdoor environments, a safer condition than road cycling, which may explain such divergence.…”