The test shows traces of the substance meldonium – Swedish Dagbladet

The substance has previously been on the watch list. Ake Andrén-Sandberg writes in an e-mail correspondence with TT:

– According to the scientific literature was meldonium produced in Latvia already in the 1970s in an attempt to increase the rate of growth in beef cattle.

Studies have shown that meldonium improves energy metabolism in the heart muscle cells.

Andren-Sandberg points out:

– Today it can be considered reasonably safe to meldoniums effect can be traced to the mitochondria ( “cellular power plants”), which is interesting because mitochondria are found in all cells in the body, making it possible to meldonium could affect any organ in the body that can benefit from a better energy metabolism. This has been used to some degree in the study of neurons and thus there are small studies (or hypotheses) to use the preparation after stroke as well as in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. One can not see that there is scientific evidence showing that the preparation has no effect in this context. There is a report which claims that meldonium increases alertness and another that learning ability increases.

HH: How long have you known the Aregawis positive A-sample?

– We have known the positive test in about two weeks, but the information then came through the IAAF, which was the body that was responsible for the sampling (but according to the network that are submitted information directly to the country’s anti-doping officers, in Sweden, thus Doping Commission).

HH: Some theories on how Aregawi has been meldonium itself and how common is it that doping?

– it is said to be a Russian female athlete who has been convicted of preparation, but it is for me just a hearsay. The preparation is basically known only in eastern Europe, and Japan / China until a few years ago and as it came up on the watch list only January 1, 2015, it

has only been tested in any of the WADA-accredited laboratories. Most laboratories thus began testing the first January 1, 2016, so how common it is we do not know. I did not know it until the end of 2014, even though I follow the scientific literature carefully. Yet you probably have to say that the preparation is essentially unknown and there is not a single scientific publication that has tried meldonium to increase performance in sports.