Arlindo de Souza, known as Brazilian Popeye, died at the age of 55.. Arlindo became known nationally after appearing on television programs with large arm muscles, the result of applying mineral oil.. With an exaggerated physique, he began to be compared to the famous cartoon sailor.
The cause of Arlindo’s death was not reported.
Arlindo lived in Águas Compridas, a neighborhood of Olinda, and died in the early hours of Tuesday (13), at the Otávio de Freitas Hospital, in Tejipió, in the west zone of Recife. He had been hospitalized since December. Arlindo’s burial was scheduled for this Wednesday afternoon (13), at the Águas Compridas Cemetery.
Mason, Arlindo modified his body with the application of mineral oil and alcohol, a practice condemned by doctors. Arlindo’s case drew attention to the use of anabolic steroids and other substances to increase muscle mass. Among other problems, steroid use is associated with serious risks to kidney health, such as increased blood pressure, cell damage and even death.
The cardiologist and president of the Association of Hospitals and Health Services of the State of São Paulo (AHOSP), Anis Mitri, warns that the use of anabolic hormones, synthetic or not, brings numerous side effects, especially when used in high doses.
“When a person uses the hormone to do bodybuilding, they end up feeling more energetic, they end up feeling that muscle recovery is easier, they can lift more weight. And this ends up creating a tendency for people to always want to use it. But using it, whether short or prolonged, generates side effects that you can’t control,” he told Brazil Agency.
The effects include dependence, the creation of blood clots that can lead to a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), stroke and heart attack. Furthermore, he cites oncological effects, which can predispose a person to more types of cancer, such as prostate cancer, breast cancer and thyroid cancer.
“You can’t control what the safe dose is. There are also psychic and psychological effects, in which the person becomes more nervous, more aggressive. In addition to the simple effects, which are hair loss, itching and redness of the skin, increased blood pressure. This all makes the hormones dangerous”, he stated.
“He [Arlindo] He also added this issue of mineral oil inside the muscles. This can lead to gangrene, muscle rot and thrombosis as well,” he concluded.
The Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology (Sbem) also warns that the use, without medical supervision, of testosterone – commonly called anabolic steroid – can be dangerous and cause irreparable damage to the human body. Substance use has become a public health problem and cases of complications are increasingly frequent.
The entity cites the effects of increased acne, hair loss, liver function disorders, liver tumors, outbursts of anger or aggressive behavior, paranoia, hallucinations, psychoses, blood clots, fluid retention in the body, increased blood pressure and the risk of acquiring communicable diseases.
Due to the risks, in April 2023, the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) prohibited the medical prescription of hormonal therapies with androgenic and anabolic steroids for aesthetic purposes, to gain muscle mass or improve sports performance. The decision was made due to the lack of sufficient scientific evidence to support the benefit and safety of the patient.
