Blast and cruise past 45 - what the bloodwork looks like after 3 years

Real talk from a long term user is what the community needs. The monitoring approach - echo, bloodwork, BP - is not something most guys in my gym bother with. Sharing actual data like this pushes people toward taking health tracking seriously. Respect for being open about it.

The diastolic dysfunction progression is the most important cardiac metric to follow beyond year 3. Systolic function typically remains preserved even with significant LV hypertrophy. Diastolic dysfunction - reduced E/A ratio on echocardiogram - is the earlier and more sensitive indicator of pathological remodeling. Worth requesting this specific measurement at your next echo.

For reference of anyone considering long term blast and cruise. I am 48, started TRT at 44, moved to blast and cruise at 45. Baseline bloodwork before TRT was low normal test, unremarkable. After 3 years of blast and cruise: hematocrit managed with quarterly donation, LDL trending up despite diet, echo shows mild LV thickness - not alarming but present and documented. Lipids are the main concern over time. Statins at low dose since year 2. This is not a scare story, just real data. Monitor everything.

Shared this post with two guys I know personally who are both 5 plus years into blast and cruise without proper monitoring. Neither has had an echo. The LV thickness data is real and the community needs more posts like this to push people toward actual cardiac screening.

The calcium score scan recommendation is the one I push on everyone past 5 years of blast and cruise. More useful than an echo for coronary artery risk. My score came back zero at year 4 but I know guys who were not so lucky. The scan is cheap and the information is invaluable.

The statin at year 2 is something I am thinking about proactively now. My LDL has been trending up over three blasts even with clean diet and fish oil. Better to manage it early than wait for a problem. Which statin are you on and what dose if you do not mind sharing?

Getting a baseline echo before starting anything is now on my list. I had not thought about this before reading this thread. The idea of having a documented starting point to compare against years later makes a lot of sense. Going to ask my doctor about it at my next appointment.

The statin addition at year 2 is something I am already discussing with my doctor after only 18 months. LDL is trending in the wrong direction despite clean diet. Better to manage it proactively than wait. The HOMA-IR tracking suggestion from Dutchman is going on my next panel as well.

The long term monitoring data is what I want to see more of on this forum. Most posts are cycle logs and questions, not many people sharing years of actual health tracking. This kind of honest post is more valuable than any cycle advice thread.

Real data on the long term effects is what this community needs more of. Too many guys posting about their stack and nobody talking about what 5 or 10 years actually looks like on the inside. Appreciate you sharing this.

Good honest post. The LDL creep is real and relentless on blast and cruise. Statins helped me keep it in check from year 2. Get a calcium score scan if you are past 10 years of this lifestyle - the result is more useful than any blood panel for cardiovascular risk.

The echo data is consistent with published literature on long-term AAS users. LV wall thickness increase of 10 to 15 percent is typical at 3 years of blast and cruise in the studies I have reviewed. The absence of diastolic dysfunction at this stage is the reassuring finding. That is the metric to watch in years 4 and 5.

Three years in and already seeing LV changes - that is the honest reality of this lifestyle. Thanks for sharing actual data rather than just saying everything is fine. The monitoring approach is the right call. Lots of guys my age in the community have no idea what their heart looks like.

This is the post that needs more attention on the forum. Long term blast and cruise guys need real data, not just cycle logs. LV thickness showing up is not a reason to quit but it is a reason to take the cardio and the BP management seriously. Good on you for sharing.

The long term monitoring approach you describe is exactly what I plan to do. Starting with a baseline echo and full lipid panel before my next cycle, then repeating annually. The European health system makes this relatively accessible. Building the data history early is the responsible way to approach this lifestyle long term.

Good data here. The LV thickness showing up at 3 years is exactly what the sports cardiology literature describes for blast and cruise users. Not a scare story but it is real. Getting a baseline echo before you start is the one thing most guys skip that they should not. Then repeat every 18 months if you are serious about it.

This is a sobering read. The LV thickness showing up at 3 years on blast and cruise is something I think about when I consider where I want to take this long term. Getting a baseline echo before starting anything is going on my list now. Thank you for being honest about the data.

The echo data is important. I am 28 so the long term picture is exactly what I need to think about if I plan to do this for years. Getting a baseline echo was already on my list and this post confirmed it. Thanks for putting real numbers in front of the community.