IML Says Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Caused Gabriel Ganley’s Death

Overview

• The Instituto Médico Legal issued a laudo on Monday, May 25, that identified hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as the official cause of 22‑year‑old bodybuilder Gabriel Ganley’s death.
• Investigators who examined Ganley’s Mooca apartment seized medicines that may be anabolic agents and have sent them for technical laboratory testing while the Polícia Civil continues its inquiry.
• Ganley publicly reported using anabolic hormones and insulin; claims that insulin‑induced hypoglycemia caused his death were denied by an influencer citing the IML.
• Cardiology experts quoted in coverage say anabolic steroids can cause cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis and dangerous arrhythmias, but the IML laudo did not single out steroid use as the sole cause and causation remains under technical review.
• Researchers and clinicians point to wider risks in competitive bodybuilding — including a 2025 European Heart Journal study showing high rates of sudden cardiac death among competitors — and are calling for routine ECG and echocardiogram screening and stricter controls on unsupervised hormone use.