Top 5 Facts to Know About Meldonium

Russian curler Aleksandr Krushelnitsky, who won the bronze medal at mixed doubles curling at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea's Pyeongchang, came under scrutiny of the Anti-doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD) amid the use of meldonium. Here are five facts about the prohibited drug.

1. Meldonium is produced by the Latvian pharmaceutical company Grindeks.

2. The substance was initially created at the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis to be used as a non-antibiotic growth promoter in livestock feed. It was invented by scientist Ivars Kalvins in the mid-1970s when Latvia was still a part of the Soviet Union.

READ MORE: Study Concludes: Roughly Half of Surveyed Athletes Use Doping

3. The drug is often used for medical purposes, for example to treat different heart conditions, such as ischemia. The disease is generally caused by blood vessel problems and results in a shortage of oxygen supply in the human body, which can lead to heart failure.

4. The drug may result in certain side effects such as an irregular heartbeat and blood pressure, as well as allergy.

5. It was listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) among prohibited drugs on January 1, 2016 after some scientists said that it boosts athletic performance.