Anabolic steroid therapy enhances fibrinolytic activity and it has been suggested that, since degenerative and thrombotic arterial diseases may be associated with impaired plasma fibrinolysis, anabolic steroids may be of potential therapeutic value in these disorders.
The evidence for the use of anabolic steroids in peripheral and in coronary arterial disorders is reviewed.
FearnleyGRChakrabartiRAvisPRD. Blood fibrinolytic activity in diabetes mellitus and its bearing on ischaemic heart disease and obesity. Br Med J1963; 1: 921–923.
2.
FearnleyGRChakrabartiR. Increase of blood fibrinolytic activity by testosterone. Lancet1962; 2: 128–132.
3.
WintherO. Testosterone and blood fibrinolytic activity. Lancet (letter)1965; 1: 823.
4.
FearnleyGRChakrabartiR. Pharmacological enhancement of fibrinolytic activity of blood. J Clin Path1964; 17: 328–332.
5.
FearnleyGRChakrabartiR. Fibrinolytic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with phenformin plus ethyloestrenol, Lancet1966; 2: 757–761.
6.
FearnleyGRChakrabartiRHockingED. Fibrinolytic effects of biguanides plus ethyloestrenol in occlusive vascular disease. Lancet1967; 2: 1008–1011.
7.
DavidsonJFLochheadMMcDonaldGAMcNicolGP. Fibrinolytic enhancement by stanozolol: A double blind trial. Br J Haemat1972; 22: 543–559.
8.
CunliffeWJ. An association between cutaneous vasculitis and decreased blood fibrinolytic activity. Lancet1968; 1: 1126–1128.
9.
IsacsonSLinellFMollerHNilssonIM. Coagulation and fibrinolysis in chronic panniculitis. Acta Dermat Vener1970; 50: 213–217.
10.
ParishWE. Cutaneous vasculitis: antigen-antibody complexes and prolonged fibrinolysis. Proc Roy Soc Med1972; 65: 276–278.
11.
CunliffeWJMenonIS. The association between cutaneous vasculitis and decreased blood fibrinolytic activity. Br J Dermat1971; 84: 99–105.
12.
MenonISCunliffeWJDewarHA. Preliminary report of beneficial effect of phenformin in combination with ethyloestrenol in treatment of cutaneous vasculitis and Behçet's syndrome. Postgrad Med J1969; May Suppl 62.
13.
GilliamJNHerndonJHPrystowskySD. Fibrinolytic therapy for atropine blanche. Archiv Dermat1974; 109: 664–667.
14.
DodmanBCunliffeWJRobertsBESibbaldR. Clinical and laboratory double-blind investigation on effect of fibrinolytic therapy in patients with cutaneous vasculitis. Br Med J1973; 2: 82–84.
15.
CunliffeWJDodmanBRobertsBETebbsEM. Clinical and laboratory double-blind investigation of fibrinolytic therapy of cutaneous vasculitis. In: Progress in Chemical Fibrinolysis and Thrombolysis, Vol. 11975. eds. DavidsonJFSamamaMMDesnoyersPC. Raven Press: New York, p. 325.
16.
CunliffeWJMenonIS. Blood fibrinolytic activity in diseases of small blood vessels and the effect of low molecular weight dextran. Br J Dermat1969; 81: 220–225.
17.
PringleRWalkerDNWeaverJPA. Blood viscosity and Raynaud's disease. Lancet1965; 1: 1086–1088.
18.
JarrettPEMMorlandMBrowseNL. Treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon by fibrinolytic enhancement. Br Med J1978; 2: 523–525.
19.
AsbeckFMeyer-BoerneckeDVan de LooJ. On the fibrinolytic system in Behçet's disease and the therapeutic effect of stanozolol and phenformin. In: Progress in Chemical Fibrinolysis and Thrombolysis, Vol. 31978. eds. DavidsonJFRowanRMSamamaMMDesnoyersPC. Raven Press: New York, p. 513.
20.
CunliffeWJMenonIS. Treatment of Behçcet's syndrome with phenformin and ethyloestrenol. Lancet1969; 1: 1239–1240.
21.
ChakrabartiREvansJFFearnleyGR. Effects on platelet stickiness and fibrinolysis of phenformin combined with ethyloestrenol or stanozolol. Lancet1970; 1: 591–593.
22.
BielawiecMMysliwiecMPerzanowskiA. Combined therapy with phenformin plus stanozolol in patients with occlusive arterial disease and recurrent venous thrombosis. In: Progress in Chemical Fibrinolysis and Thrombolysis, Vol. 3, 1978. eds. DavidsonJFRowanRMSamamaMMDesnoyersPC. Raven Press: New York, p. 507.
23.
MenonISCunliffeWJWeightmanDDewarHA. Phenformin and stanozolol in blood fibrinolytic activity. Br Med J (letter) 1970; 1: 428.
24.
WalkerIDDavidsonJFYoungPConkieJA. Effect of anabolic steroids on plasma antithrombin III, α2 macroglobulin and α1 antitrypsin. Thromb et Diath Haemorrhag1975; 34: 106–114.
25.
WalkerIDDavidsonJF. Long-term fibrinolytic enhancement with anabolic steroid therapy. In: Progress in Chemical Fibrinolysis and Thrombolysis, Vol. 31978. eds. DavidsonJFRowanRMSamamaMMDesnoyersPC. Raven Press: New York, p. 491.
26.
NestelPJ. Fibrinolytic activity of blood in intermittent claudication. Lancet1959; 2: 373–374.
27.
NaimiSGoldsteinRProgerS. Studies on the coagulation and fibrinolysis of arterial and venous blood in normal subjects and patients with atherosclerosis. Circulation1963; 28: 904–918.
28.
ChakrabartiRHockingEDFearnleyGRMannRDAttwellTNJacksonD. Fibrinolytic activity and coronary heart disease. Lancet1968; 1: 987–990.
29.
RosingDRRedwoodDRBrakmanPAstrupTEpsteinSE. Impairment of the diurnal fibrinolytic response in man. Effects of ageing, Type IV hyperlipo-proteinaemia and coronary artery disease. Circulation Research1973; 32: 752–758.
MerskeyCGordonHLacknerHSchrireVKaplanBJSougin-NibashanRNosselHLMoodieA. Blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in relation to coronary heart disease. Br Med J1960; 1: 219–227.
32.
KatzAMMcDonaldLDaviesBEdghillM. Fibrinolysis and blood coagulation in ischaemic heart disease. Lancet1963; 1: 801–802.