The use of anabolic steroids can pose a big danger to health of users besides being illegal, according to Aaron L. Baggish, M.D., lead author of the study and instructor in the Department of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

The use of steroids in long run could weaken the heart more than previously considered along with leading to heart failure, as per a research reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, an American Heart Association journal.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Baggish and his co-investigators used a technique known as Doppler echocardiography to examine the left ventricle’s function and structure. The test uses high-frequency sound waves, or ultrasound, to create moving pictures of the heart and its blood flow.

The steroid-using group included 12 male weight lifters, average age 40, who reported taking about 675 milligrams of steroids per week for nine years. The control group was seven age-matched, male weight lifters who reported no steroid exposure. Both groups had similar durations of past and current weight lifting and other physical activity, as well as similar cardiac risk factors other than steroid use. Although the users and non-users had comparable body-mass indices and body-surface areas, the steroid users had more muscle mass than the non-users.

Despite the small sample size, the statistically significant differences in heart function suggest a strong link between steroid use and heart impairment, said investigators who are conducting further studies to confirm their findings.

Co-authors of the study were Rory B. Weiner, M.D.; Gen Kanayama, M.D., Ph.D.; James I. Hudson, M.D.; Sc.D.; Michael H. Picard, M.D.; Adolph M. Hutter, Jr., M.D.; and Harrison G. Pope, Jr., M.D.

Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital reported three cases where individuals were found suffering from serious effects of dietary supplements enriched with steroids.

The three cases included individuals suffering from liver injury and renal failure and were discussed in an issue of The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology.

From Medicalnewstoday.com:

The cases of three otherwise healthy adult males, ages 21 to 38, were reported with symptoms including nausea, anorexia, jaundice, severe itching and renal failure.

* A 21-year-old previously healthy white male presented with nausea, anorexia, jaundice, and severe itching. He denied alcohol consumption or illicit drug use and took no prescription medications on a regular basis but did acknowledge use of the over-the-counter supplement Superdrol, a bodybuilding agent containing methasteron, for several months before his presentation. He had purchased this compound over the internet, and he discontinued taking the supplement at the onset of his symptoms.

* A previously healthy 30-year-old white businessman initially presented to a hospital with a 5-week history of jaundice and severe itching. His medications included omeprazole and herbal supplements including chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, glutamine, and creatine. He also acknowledged the use of a bodybuilding supplement that contained dehydroepiandrosterone. Concerned about his symptoms, he stopped consuming this supplement just before his hospitalization.

* A 38-year-old previously healthy white man initially presented for evaluation of jaundice. He first noticed the onset of scleral icterus 6 weeks previously. His symptoms included intense and worsening itching, generalized fatigue, nausea, decreased energy, and weight loss. His past history was unremarkable. He denied alcohol or illicit drug use and used no prescription medications. Owing to worsening of his symptoms and renal failure, he was admitted to the hospital.

It was remarked by Stuart C. Gordon, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Henry Ford Hospital that some over-the-counter health food supplements possibly include anabolic steroids.

A paper that was presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA exposed a fact that was previously unrecognized.

It suggested that athletes and bodybuilders on anabolic steroids for gaining muscle mass and strength run a high risk of damage to the kidneys due to long-term and habitual use of steroid products.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Reports of professional athletes who abuse anabolic steroids are increasingly common. Most people know that using steroids is not good for your health, but until now, their effects on the kidneys have not been known. Leal Herlitz, MD (Columbia University Medical Center) and her colleagues recently conducted the first study describing injury to the kidneys following long-term abuse of anabolic steroids. The investigators studied a group of 10 bodybuilders who used steroids for many years and developed protein leakage into the urine and severe reductions in kidney function. Kidney tests revealed that nine of the ten bodybuilders developed a condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a type of scarring within the kidneys. This disease typically occurs when the kidneys are overworked. The kidney damage in the bodybuilders has similarities to that seen in morbidly obese patients, but appears to be even more severe.

This study was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Vivette D’Agati, MD at Columbia Univeristy Medical Center. Study co-authors include Glen Markowitz, MD, Joshua Schwimmer, MD, Michael Stokes, MD, Cheryl Kunis, MD, Vivette D’Agati, MD, (Columbia University Medical Center); Alton Farris, MD, and Robert Colvin, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital).

The use of growth hormone (GH) in an injectable form for the purpose of building solid muscle mass is irrelevant, according to a dissertation from the Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University in Sweden.

Growth hormone does not offer benefits on the same lines as anabolic steroids, which are used by sportsmen for enhancing performance and building muscle mass. It was noted that the use of growth hormone may even lead to health complications such as damage to the heart and blood vessels.

From News-Medical.Net:

“Many of those who abuse anabolic steroids regard growth hormone as the Rolls Royce of doping agents: it is significantly more expensive to use than anabolic steroids. There is, however, no scientific evidence that it increases performance when used alone as a doping agent”, says Dr. Christer Ehrnborg.

Christer Ehrnborg has studied 30 well-trained people living in Göteborg. Twenty of these injected large doses of growth hormone each day for a month, while the other 10 believed that they also were receiving growth hormone but received injections of harmless saline solution instead. Tests of the participants’ physical performance on an exercise cycle showed that the participants receiving growth hormone did not perform better than those receiving saline solution.

“It has been a matter of controversy whether growth hormone actually causes an effect or whether it is a matter involving mass psychology. Both our study and studies carried out by others suggest that taking growth hormone will not make you a better athlete”, says Christer Ehrnborg.

Christer Ehrnborg, who was involved in this dissertation, said that some sportsmen may sense a sudden change in the body (perceived as benefit) after using GH but there is no benefit such as increased muscle mass of GH.

The benefits of anabolic steroids have always impressed one and all but a paper presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA has suggested that athletes using steroids can suffer from kidney damage.

This complication was previously unrecognized and can happen when steroids are used on a habitual basis.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Reports of professional athletes who abuse anabolic steroids are increasingly common. Most people know that using steroids is not good for your health, but until now, their effects on the kidneys have not been known. Leal Herlitz, MD (Columbia University Medical Center) and her colleagues recently conducted the first study describing injury to the kidneys following long-term abuse of anabolic steroids. The investigators studied a group of 10 bodybuilders who used steroids for many years and developed protein leakage into the urine and severe reductions in kidney function. Kidney tests revealed that nine of the ten bodybuilders developed a condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a type of scarring within the kidneys. This disease typically occurs when the kidneys are overworked. The kidney damage in the bodybuilders has similarities to that seen in morbidly obese patients, but appears to be even more severe.

The study was conducted in the lab of Dr. Vivette D’Agati, MD at Columbia Univeristy Medical Center. Study co-authors included Glen Markowitz, MD, Joshua Schwimmer, MD, Michael Stokes, MD, Cheryl Kunis, MD, Vivette D’Agati, MD, (Columbia University Medical Center); Alton Farris, MD, and Robert Colvin, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital).

Steroids can prove to be an effective option with antibiotics when it comes to reducing recovery time associated with pneumonia, according to a study by researchers from the UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The study suggested that health of a patient suffering from pneumonia can be restored easily if steroids are administered in a combination with antibiotics as compared to the use of antibiotics alone.

From News-medical.net:

Adding corticosteroids to traditional antimicrobial therapy might help people with pneumonia recover more quickly than with antibiotics alone, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have found.

Unlike the anabolic steroids used to bulk up muscle, corticosteroids are often used to treat inflammation related to infectious diseases, such as bacterial meningitis. Used against other infectious diseases, however, steroid therapy has been shown to be ineffective or even harmful.

In a study available online and in a future issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers at UT Southwestern show that mice infected with a type of severe bacterial pneumonia and subsequently treated with steroids and antibiotics recovered faster and had far less inflammation in their lungs than mice treated with antibiotics alone.

The study led by Dr. Robert Hardy, Study’s Senior Author & Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, also suggested that steroids are good for treating inflammation of the lungs while antibiotics prove effective for killing the bug.

A peer-led and sport team-centered program can help in reducing eating disordered behavior and body-shaping drug use in female high school athletes, according to an article in issue of The Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

The article revealed that about half of high school students (male and female) participate in school sports and the pressure to win often influence young women to come in close proximity to disordered eating behaviors, drug use (tobacco, diet pills, diuretics, laxatives, amphetamines, and anabolic steroids).

From News-Medical.Net:

The researchers found that athletes participating in the ATHENA program reported significantly less ongoing and new use of diet pills, and less use of amphetamines, anabolic steroids, and sport supplements. These athletes also reported more seatbelt use and less new sexual activity. The ATHENA athletes also had positive changes in healthy eating behaviors, and reductions in intent to use diet pills in the future, vomiting to lose weight and tobacco use.

“The ATHENA curriculum succeeded in most of its prevention and health promotion goals,” the authors write. “Following their sport season, intervention students reported less ongoing and new diet pill use and less new use of athletic-enhancing, body-shaping substances (amphetamines, anabolic steroids, and muscle-building supplements). Experimental participants understood more about the presented topics, had improved self-reported dietary habits, and indicated greater self-efficacy for exercise training,” write the researchers.

The topics in the ATHENA program were gender specific and consisted of information on effective exercise training, drug use, depression prevention, media images of women, and healthy sport nutrition.

More and more sportsmen are using anabolic steroids these days to gain a competitive edge and stay ahead of the peers, as evident from the growing number of sportsmen opting for anabolic steroids on the Internet.

However, what many people forget is the fact that steroids do not pose any harm to the users if used under medical advice and help sportsmen delivers dramatic performance on a continuing basis.

From Entertainment.howstuffworks.com:

Anabolic Steroids

A steroid is a chemical substance derived from cholesterol. The body has several major steroid hormones — cortisol and testosterone in the male, estrogen and progesterone in the female. Catabolic steroids break down tissue, and anabolic steroids build up tissue. Anabolic steroids build muscle and bone mass primarily by stimulating the muscle and bone cells to make new protein.

Athletes use anabolic steroids because they increase muscle strength by encouraging new muscle growth. Anabolic steroids are similar in structure to the male sex hormone, testosterone, so they enhance male reproductive and secondary sex characteristics (testicle development, hair growth, thickening of the vocal cords). They allow the athlete to train harder and longer at any given period.

Anabolic steroids are mostly testosterone (male sex hormone) and its derivatives. Examples of anabolic steroids include:

* Testosterone

* Dihydrotestosterone

* Androstenedione (Andro)

* Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)

* Clostebol

* Nandrolone

It is, however, of great mention that steroid abuse and sub-standard steroids can result in side effects and must be avoided at all stages.

After federal officials raided the company’s headquarters and their warehouse in Boise, Idaho, chief executive officer of Meridian, Ryan de Luca, said they decided to recall 65 of their products that matched the list in the FDA’s search warrant.

There was no bargain or agreement between the company and the US Food and Drug Administration. De Luca made it clear that the recall has nothing to do with any agreement or with FDA’s suspicions that Bodybuilding.com sells and distributes steroids.

According to de Luca, the company was not aware of the products containing prohibited ingredients. Manufacturers assured them that the products were properly classified as dietary supplements in compliance with federal law.

The company’s main objective was to distribute and sell safe and effective products.

Steroids can cause a list of long-term side effects such as liver damage, kidney abnormalities, cardiovascular problems and even death.

De Luca is proud to say that the company did not suffer much from the recall since Bodybuilding.com sells more than 12,000 products online aside from those recalled products. They also sell protein powder and multivitamins.

According to the company, instructions on how to return products can be seen on their website, Bodybuilding.com. Customers can also contact the company through email at service@bodybuilding.com or through phone by calling 1-866-236-8417.

From Idaho Statesman:

The Meridian online retailer decided to recall 65 products listed in federal search warrants a few days after federal officials raided the company’s headquarters and Boise warehouse, the chief executive officer said Tuesday.

Adam Longer, 28, a previous state trooper acknowledged to court last Tuesday to possessing anabolic steroids. A judge asked Longo what his plead was, and he responded that he was guilty of the charges. He was defended by his attorney, Michael Krampner.

Longo’s name was connected to former Wyoming state trooper, Franklin Ryle Jr.’s case who was charged of abducting a Wal-mart truck driver.  According to police investigations, anabolic steroids were found inside Ryle’s desk.

He will be sentenced in Natrona County for the next week or so for the felony. His maximum penalty could have been five years in prison, but since his legal counsel bargained a deal with the prosecutors, he only has to face five years probation.

Since Longo had no criminal record and the anabolic steroid he owned was initially for individual consumption, prosecutors well concurred to the plea arrangement. One prosecutor even said Longo’s cooperation was remarkable.

Longo admitted to Col. Sam Powell, head of Wyoming Highway Patrol that he had used steroids during the last 18 months and that had given some to Ryle. Longo further added that he purchased the steroids locally from a Casper gym.

From Trib:

A former state trooper will likely avoid jail time after admitting in court Tuesday to possessing anabolic steroids.

The larger body size of professional soccer players does not mean that the risk of catching atherosclerosis or cardiovascular disease is enhanced after they retire, as per a research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2008.

It was remarked by Benjamin D. Levine, M.D., senior author of the study and director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, that active players tend to easily prevent the progression of pre-diabetes from becoming real diabetes by following an active lifestyle.

From News-Medical.Net:

“Perhaps by remaining fit, the players were able to prevent the progression of pre-diabetes from becoming real diabetes,” said Benjamin D. Levine, M.D., senior author of the study and director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. “The prevalence of obesity, using normal criteria, is really high when you look at NFL players.

“But the BMI is only a crude measure of fatness. For the athletic community it may be biased against very dense, muscular people who may have a high BMI but not as much fat. The BMI might not tell the whole story.”

This study was based on retired players from another era. The football players today are about 50 percent larger than they were a quarter of a century ago, said Levine, who is also professor of internal medicine in the Division of Cardiology at UT Southwestern. “Today, there is a lot of incentive for football players to get as big as possible through eating, extensive training or by using anabolic steroids and growth hormones. The criterion for success is that bigger is better.”

Whether current or recently retired players are at greater risk for cardiovascular events or death merits further study, given the larger body sizes of today’s NFL player, he said.

It was also found during the study that the retired National Football League (NFL) players had a significantly lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, and sedentary lifestyle when compared to other men.

Although steroids can be utilized in legal medical uses, it is still banned to administer the drug for the exclusive intention of working up muscles.

Sometimes, doctors may administer steroids in patients with serious anemia. They may also prescribe the drug in men not creating enough testosterone.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, physicians never prescribe anabolic-androgenic steroids to young, healthy people to aid them in working up their muscles.

Steroids use, particularly for extended periods, could bring about unfavorable results unique to each sex and age group.

In males, it could bring about shriveling of the testicles, low sperm count, sterility, male pattern baldness, breast development or gynecomastia and an elevated risk for prostate cancer.

In females, it could result to noticeable development of facial hair, baldness, shifts or irregularity in the menstrual cycle resulting to total cessation, enlargement of the clitoris and thickening of the voice.

Teenagers may run the danger of sustaining stunted maturation due to early maturation of their skeletal body structures. Puberty changes are rapid, and they may not achieve their utmost stature if they take anabolic steroids before or during their growth spurt.

Taking steroids is never brilliant or sound. It may abbreviate your lives instead of extending it. It could bring about troubles that could injure you for the remainder of your life.

From The Cypress Times:

Steroids do make users bulk up, but the health risks are high. It’s true, on steroids biceps bulge; abs ripple; and quads balloon. But that’s just on the outside. Steroid users may be very pleased when they flex in the mirror, but they may create problems on the inside.

According to officials, a new rule has been proposed by the New Jersey Racing Commission to establish a new testing program and strict penalties to restrict the use of androgenic-anabolic steroids in thoroughbred race horses. The proposed rule would be very much in accordance with what is presently being followed by more than 20 other states.

From App.com:

Androgenic-anabolic steroids are substances that increase muscle size and strength, but they also induce behavior in horses such as biting, kicking and aggressiveness toward other horses and humans, officials said.

The proposed rule bans the administration of anabolic steroids to thoroughbred race horses except for specified levels of four permitted steroids. The concentration of a permitted steroid would have to be so low that it cannot affect a horse’s performance in a race. Trainers who violate the rule would face license suspensions and fines.

Public comment on the proposed rule will be accepted until Nov. 20, officials said.

It is believed that the proposed rule would be introducing and recommending strict penalties for curbing the use of anabolic steroids so that the spirit of horse racing stays in best condition. Some horse racing lovers have expressed their pleasure up on hearing this news, which is expected to clear all “black clouds” after recent reports of steroid usage in the game.

Members of the general public and doping officials are raising their deep concerns over the growing demand and popularity of steroids. The concerns are more since the government has already said that it has tried its level best to enforce tight control on the manufacture and distribution of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. However, the truth is that steroid usage has increased and not decreased in the last few years.

The biggest reason for increasing demand of steroids is celebrity driven image culture.

The fact that news about sportsmen and other celebrities using anabolic steroids to maintain their “invincible edge” is influencing their followers to follow the same short route to success is a matter of great concern. With big names such as Sylvester Stallone remarking that he is an old man jumping around trying to look young and getting busted with 48 vials of human growth hormone Jintropin at the Sydney Airport, things cannot be expected to slow down for the better.

From Timesunion.com:

The names of R&B music star Mary J. Blige, along with rap artists 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean, and award-winning author and producer Tyler Perry, have emerged in an Albany-based investigation of steroids trafficking that has already rocked the professional sports world, according to confidential sources.

Information has surfaced recently showing those stars are among tens of thousands of people who may have used or received prescribed shipments of steroids and injectable human growth hormone in recent years. Law enforcement officials have said they have no evidence in their sprawling multistate probe that customers, including Blige or other entertainers, violated any laws. Instead, they are targeting anti-aging clinics, doctors and pharmacists who prescribed the drugs.

Still, medical experts say that use of steroids and human growth hormone — an estimated $10 billion-a-year operation worldwide — reaching into the entertainment industry illustrates how pervasive steroids use in the United States has become. It is not unique to athletics, where performance-enhancing drug use has marred many sports. For many celebrities, the lure of hormonal drugs is their supposed, unproven anti-aging effects.

It is widely regarded now that the dirt created from use of steroids will not be cleared unless and until stringent measures to inhibit use of steroids are formulated and deployed. Till that happens, things such as distribution of anabolic steroids will continue despite all odds.

Jason Duncan Deason, a former Canby police officer faces eight charges of official misconduct and one charge for unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

The criminal charges resulted to a yearlong investigation conducted by FBI.

Deason is accused of purchasing steroids while on duty and while in uniform from a businessman named William Traverso. He even used his police motorcycle to travel from Canby to Jackson in Oregon City to buy anabolic steroids.

Traverso, according to FBI, was a former bodybuilder whose family owns the Canby Landscape Supply. Upon investigation, he admitted to selling anabolic steroids and human growth hormone to Deason. He also presented an order for steroids written by Deason on a piece of Canby police stationery, dated April 30, 2002.

Aside from Traverso, a second alleged supplier was charged with manufacture and delivery of controlled substances. Brian Jackson was a former strength and conditioning coach for the Oregon City High School girl’s basketball team.

Since the state prosecutors and the defendant could not agree into a plea bargain, a Clackamas County Circuit judge scheduled a trial on November 10, 2009 for his charges.

He is also restricted fro going out of the country pending trial. However, he was allowed to go to California and Washington for several job interviews.

From Oregon Local News:

Unable to agree to a plea deal, former Canby cop Jason Duncan Deason is set to go to trial in November on official misconduct and drug charges.

A Clackamas County Circuit judge this afternoon set Nov. 10 as his trial date.

Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration have been involved in several cases of illegal drug importation, misbranding of dug products and mislabeling of dietary supplements.

The agency has been working hard to protect public health by ensuring a tougher enforcement of its policies and regulations.

According to US Food and Drug Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, the agency must be strategic, vigilant, quick and visible, especially in these times where illegal drug activity seems to be rising fast.

Several investigations conducted by the agency involved a man from Lyn, Massachusetts, who was sentenced to a three-year imprisonment plus three years of supervised release for illegal importation and distribution of bodybuilding substances without a prescription.

Christopher Chase was indicted on July 27, 2009 for selling anabolic steroids, HGH and IGF-1 as bodybuilding substances. Chase and his team sold the substances through various websites without a prescription. The drugs were found to be smuggled from China. He was also charged with money laundering and conspiracy, along with two other co-defendants.

Included among the agency’s six point action plan were setting post inspection deadlines, speeding the Warning Letter process and working more closely with FDA’s regulatory partners in an effort to protect the consumers.

According to PharmTech Talk:

Last month, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg announced the agency’s six-point plan for tougher enforcement of its policies and regulations as means of protecting public health. The plan, which includes actions like setting postinspection deadlines, speeding the Warning Letter process, and working more closely with FDA’s regulatory partners, was designed to “to prevent harm to the American people,” as Hamburg said in an FDA release.

US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently conducted reviews on the implementation of random drug testing for their contractors across the enterprise. This is in response to the four guards who tested positive for anabolic steroid use. The security contractor, Wackenhut Services Inc., dismissed the guards from the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tenessee.

At present, random drug testing is not part of the employee screening process among corporate employees and contractors of US NNSA. However, under certain circumstances where there is probable cause, this random drug testing could always be conducted. It was NNSA representative, Damien LaVera, who confirmed that random drug testing requirements are currently being reviewed by their agency.

Oak Ridge head of the International Guards Union of America, Randy Lawson, claimed that only the Oak Ridge facility underwent screening among employees for steroid use. LaVera was not yet able to confirm Lawson’s claim.

The National Nuclear Security Administration is a branch of the United States Department of Energy. The main purpose of the agency is to provide nuclear safety, create effective but safe military propulsion plants, reduce global danger of any weapons of mass destruction and support US leadership in the field of science and technology.

From Global Security Newswire:

The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration is studying the use of steroids by personnel at the nation’s nuclear-weapon facilities, the Knoxville, Tenn., News Sentinel reported Sunday (see GSN, Aug. 6).

With the world getting divided between proposed legality of steroids in sports, it is high time that people start getting aware about steroids. Even today, many people feel that steroids are harmful for health but the truth is that steroids are not dangerous for health. It is only the user who makes them advantageous or dangerous. While a qualified medical advice guided usage can prove to be beneficial, an uninformed usage of steroids can lead to health ailments. This is the reason why there needs to a conscience effort to spread information about steroids so that potential users can understand the pros and cons of steroids and how to reap optimum benefits from them.

From Npr.org:

Norman Fost, professor of pediatrics and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin, says: “I ask you in the audience to quickly name, in your own minds, a single elite athlete who’s had a stroke or a heart attack while playing sports. It’s hard to come up with one. Anabolic steroids do have undesirable side effects: acne, baldness, voice changes … infertility. But sport itself is far more dangerous, and we don’t prohibit it. The number of deaths from playing professional football and college football are 50 to 100 times higher than even the wild exaggerations about steroids. More people have died playing baseball than have died of steroid use.”

If we have a close look at modern day sporting environments, one can easily conclude that steroids have helped and helping professional sportsmen to think beyond previously self-created mind hurdles. This is the reason why steroids have been able to gain and maintain popularity like never-before in the last few years. And, believe it or not, steroids are here to stay and separating steroids and sports is just not unthinkable.

Chronic kidney patients usually depend on dialysis to help their body clean the blood from toxins and other waste products. It is a medical procedure done by removing the patient’s blood via a tube inserted in a vein, then it passes the dialysis machine where it is filtered before being returned inside the body. This treatment is often done three or four times a week either as a permanent maintenance treatment or as as an adjunct to a kidney transplant. However, due to this treatment and also as a result of their illness, kidney patients often experience malnutrition and muscle wasting.

A team of researchers led by Kirsten L. Johansen, MD, a University of California San Francisco assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics, found that anabolic steroids appear to increase lean muscle mass and reduce fatigue in kidney patients.

The study involved kidney patients who were either given nandrolone decanoate, an anabolic steroid, or a placebo for a period of six months. After the six months’ trial, patients who received the anabolic steroids were found to have an increase in their lean muscle mass to as much as 5.7 pounds and a significant decrease in fatigue as shown by better scores obtained during physical performance tests.

From Eureka Alert:

In a randomized, double blind trial, 29 patients were given either the anabolic steroid nandrolone decanoate or a placebo (dummy medication) for a six-month period. All of the patients were receiving dialysis treatments at San Francisco General Hospital. At the end of the trial, patients receiving the anabolic steroid gained an average of 5.7 pounds more lean body mass than the patients who got the placebo. Also, the patients who received the steroid reported less fatigue and scored better on physical performance tests. The researchers’ results are published in the April 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

According to a national survey published in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, the use of steroids in girls is not merely restricted to competitive athletics but also extends to smoking and diet pills.

According to assessments made on anabolic steroids by Diane L. Elliot, M.D., of the Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, and colleagues, the trends of steroid use in girls is on a rampant high as found by a study that involved 7,544 female students in grades nine through 12 completing the survey.

From News-Medical.Net:

“Adolescent girls reporting anabolic steroid use had significantly more other health-harming behaviors,” they continue. “They were much more likely to use other unhealthy substances, including past 30-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine.” Young female steroid users were also more likely to:

* have had sexual intercourse before age 13
* have been pregnant
* drink and drive or have ridden with a drinking driver
* carry a weapon
* have been in a fight on school property in the past year
* have feelings of sadness or hopelessness almost every day for at least two weeks
* have attempted suicide

More than two-thirds of the teen girls surveyed reported trying to change their weight. However, those who used steroids were more likely to turn to extreme weight-loss techniques, including vomiting and laxative use. “Anabolic steroids are body-shaping agents and cause a loss in body fat and an increase in lean tissue; therefore, their association with unhealthy weight loss practices was not surprising,” the authors write.

This study found that high-risk adolescent girls using anabolic steroids received less attention than adolescent boys suggesting that their actions may have been seen as more destructive on a personal front.

As per a new research conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an anabolic steroid treatment therapy has the potential to improve surgical repair of massive and recurrent tears of rotator cuff tendons.

These kinds of injuries are commonly associated with high performance athletes, bodybuilders, and collegiate including golf and tennis players.

The study was led by Dr. Spero Karas, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery in UNC’s School of Medicine. A bioengineered tendon was developed by Dr. Albert J. Banes, professor of orthopedics and biomedical engineering at UNC, which predominantly figured during this study.

From News-Medical.Net:

“In this new study, supraspinatus tendon cells were harvested from my patients during rotator cuff surgery, isolated and then sent to Albert’s lab,” Karas said. “The cells were then grown in his culture media to coalesce and form this experimental tendon model, the bioartificial tendon.”

Prior to applying mechanical strain, the researchers treated some of the developing tissue with the anabolic steroid nandrolone decoanate. The steroid was administered directly into the lab dish via pipette, or dropper.

“We clearly found that when you looked at the bioartificial tendon matrices that were treated with anabolic steroid and then mechanical load or strain, we saw significant increases in their biomechanical properties,” Karas said.

“The tendons were smaller, more dense, stronger, more elastic and had better remodeling properties than tissue cells not treated with steroid or placed under strain,” he said. “They responded better to the load and formed a more normal appearing tendon, versus a more disorganized matrix we see in the untreated bioartificial tendon.”

Thus, said Karas, it appeared that load and anabolic steroid “act synergistically” to improve the characteristics of tendon.

Karas said the research had clinical applications, including the possibility of a day when bioartificial tendon matrices might literally help bridge the gap between deficient human tissue and the normal state – that is, to bridge the holes that remain following surgery for large rotator cuff tears.

Dr. Karas said that since the properties of steroids to build muscle mass and strength are well-known, he believed that it would be better if the same properties can be applied to the shoulder tissue also. He went on to remark that the bioartificial tendon provided by Banes could act as an appropriate model for testing.

In the study headed by Prof. Shanna Swan, pregnant women who eat beef are prone to have sons with unhealthy sperm counts. Other findings related to this study revealed that expectant mothers who consumed more than seven beef meals in a week had sons whose sperm concentration was 24% less compared to men whose mothers had consumed less beef during their pregnancy.

According to Prof. Swan, the findings in the study published in the journal Human Reproduction, suggest that beef consumption is associated with lower sperm counts and concentration which leads to possible sub-fertility because of the presence of anabolic steroids and other xenobiotics in beef.

From Bio-Medicine:

The sperm counts have been record low among men in the western nations due to their exposure to pesticides and industrial chemicals. The growth promoters used in cattle is thought to be behind the low sperm counts. The most recent study involving men in the United States born between 1949 and 1983, revealed that expectant mothers who consumed more than seven beef meals in a week had sons whose sperm concentration was 24% percent less compared to men whose mothers had consumed less beef during their pregnancy.

Prof Shanna Swan, the lead author of the study published in the journal Human Reproduction, said: “These findings suggest that maternal beef consumption is associated with lower sperm concentration and possible sub-fertility, associations that may be related to the presence of anabolic steroids and other xenobiotics in beef. Theoretically, the fetus and young children are particularly sensitive to exposure to sex steroids. Therefore, the consumption of residues of steroids in meat by pregnant women and young children is of particular concern.”

These findings urged pregnant women not to eat too much beef, especially those with treated with anabolic steroids, because fetus and young children are sensitive to exposure to sex steroids.

American reporters, after doing an integrated survey showed that there has a great increase in the use of steroids by school girls in America. All the girls which were using steroids were not necessarily the athletes or a sports player but were keen on getting their bodies in proper shape like all models and actors.

All these girls are heading towards testosterone pills mainly with eating disorders. These anabolic steroids thus are working to a level that it can actually make them look younger and fitter.

From CBS news:

An alarming number of American girls, some as young as 9, are using bodybuilding steroids — not necessarily to get an edge on the playing field, but to get the toned, sculpted look of models and movie stars, experts say.

Girls are getting their hands on the same dangerous testosterone pills, shots and creams that have created a scandal in major league baseball and other sports. Often, these are the same girls who have eating disorders, according to some research.

Already most of these girls are getting bigger and stronger on the field for their respective games since there is a huge increase in the participation of girls in sports past years. Jeff Hoerger, from Rutgers University in New Jersey said that it was seen women were using these steroids to as a weight control and body fat reduction.

Above all if you want steroids to work on you , you need to start from third grade itself as ninth grade will be too late to be quiet effective to you in that age ,as said by Small.

Also parents and adults should be aware of asking youngsters about possible steroid use to avoid its risk as it can be harmful if carelessly consumed.

The research details put forth at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Session, revealed that professional footballers who have larger bodies are not that prone to any risk of cardiovascular disease. Though the message was presented in a cautionary as well as hopeful manner but there is certainly good news for retired pro footballers and athletes, even though they consumed steroids during their active years.

The study showed that they do not increase the risk of the development of such a disorder. The study was conducted on a large number of 201 former NFL players in Dallas, Miami, Atlanta and San Fransisco.

From News-medical.net:

Compared to other men, retired National Football League (NFL) players had a significantly lower prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, sedentary lifestyles and metabolic syndrome. However, the NFL retirees had a higher prevalence of elevated cholesterol and impaired fasting glucose that could lead to diabetes.

The retired NFL players were assessed by a survey and health screening visit. Coronary atherosclerosis (buildups of fatty plaques that narrow the coronary arteries) was determined with computer tomography measurements of coronary artery calcium (CAC).

When researchers compared the former NFL players CAC scores to controls, they found little difference, with 46 percent of former players and 48 percent of controls having significant CAC scores. When compared to physically active Aerobic Center controls, retired NFL players had a greater body mass index (BMI) and waist size, but no difference in other cardiovascular risk factors or CAC scores.

The health of these players were then compared to those at the Dallas Heart Study and the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study during which the Coronary arthrosclerosis was determined by digital tomography measurements of the coronary artery calcium. The research details revealed that there is no difference in the amount of sub-clinical levels of arthrosclerosis in the ex-footballers as well as the ones kept in controlled environment. In this research, even the ethnicity and the lineman status was considered. This clearly showed that 46 percent of NFL players and 48 percent of Aerobic Centre Controls had no difference in the CAC scores or cardiovascular risk factors at all.

When he was trying to bulk-up, actor Christian Bale confessed that he was tempted to use anabolic steroids in order to hasten the process of muscle building. He confessed that a lot of people have been convincing him to take some kind of steroids if he wants to achieve well-defined physique.

In his curiosity, he started to call the shop that sells steroids and inquired about it. When he learned about the potential side effects, he decided not to pursue his plan. Anabolic steroids can be easily purchased through online shops.

From The West.com.au:

The actor considered experimenting with the substances when he was trying to build up his physique for roles in ‘Batman Begins‘ and ‘American Psycho‘.

“A number of people have said, ‘You could never have done that without some kind of steroids.’ Not to say I wasn’t tempted.

“When I was getting ready for ‘American Psycho‘ I’d never been in a gym in my life and I was working out like crazy, so I thought, ‘Maybe it ain’t such a big deal, just take some ‘roids’ and I can speed up this whole process.’ ”

He explained: “I called up the store where they’re selling that sort of stuff and asked, ‘Have you used it? And side effects?’ ‘No no. I mean, really minimal. Your balls might shrink and you might get acne.’ I’m like, there’s no way in hell I’m going to touch anything like that and damn those who think I did.”

Anabolic steroids are known to produce great muscle build-up due to its ability to stimulate protein synthesis in the body. Although, steroid users claim to benefit from these substances, they still bring some bothersome side effects. The usual complaints of steroid users are decreased testosterone production, heightened aggression, erectile dysfunction and decreased libido.

Blake Alan Duensing was moving his things when the Young County deputies discovered a bag filled with different types of anabolic steroids. The 22-year old Duensing was charged with illegal possession of controlled substance more than 200 grams and less than 400 grams.

The investigators found five vials full of steroids, three bottles containing 118 pills, 77 needles and eight syringes. They also claimed that the vials included were three labeled testosterone, one labeled deca durabolin and one labeled sustanon. These are all injectable anabolic steroids use to build-up body muscles.

From The Graham Leader Online:

When Young County Sheriff’s Office deputies were asked to stand by while a man was moving his belonging out of a house, they got a big surprise — a bag loaded down with steroids.

Investigator Tim Bay reported that deputies found five vials full of steroids, three bottles containing 118 pills, 77 needles and eight syringes. As a result, Blake Alan Duensing, 22, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance more than 200 grams and less than 400 grams. Duensing was jailed on a $30,000 bond and has since bonded out.

Hearne went over and asked Duensing what he was hiding, and the man produced a purple Crown Royal bag. Inside the bag, Hearne found the vials and pills. The vials included three labeled testosterone, one labeled deca durabolin and one labeled sustanon. All three are injectable steroids known for creating muscle mass.

Bay said the vials were all full while the pill bottles were missing tablets. While there was no evidence Duensing had been using steroids, Bay said he is not certain why he had them.

According to Investigator Tim Bay, he does not have clues on why Blake Alan Duensing had such amount of steroids. He was jailed but bonded out on a $30,000 bail. His case is now forwarded to District Attorney Brenda Gray.

Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid, which is primarily consumed by athletes to increase body’s capacity to perform optimally, thereby reducing the physical exertion caused because of heavy training. Anabolic steroids are basically synthesized form the male hormone called the testosterone which helps in the building of muscle mass in one’s body. Although the intake of these steroids has been banned by many sports, their precise effect on the human body is still a question of scientific debate.

However, the important issue to be addressed here is whether the tests for the steroid, nandrolone is conclusive or not. Even if the tests reveal that the intake of anabolic steroid is to primarily develop muscle growth and strength in the body, this cannot be held against the athlete who has taken it.

From BBC:

Even though a drug test may indicate that the subject has apparently taken nandrolone to boost muscle growth and increase strength, this does not necessarily prove wrongdoing.

It is possible that the body may naturally create a form of nandrolone, particularly if the subject has eaten large quantities of meat contaminated with the substance.

It is also possible that dietary supplements taken perfectly legally by some athletes are broken down by the body to produce the same substances created when nandrolone is broken down.

This is precisely so because studies reveal that nandrolone can also naturally develop inside the body if one takes in large amount of meat contaminated by this particular steroid. Besides, the compounds into which some dietary supplements are further broken down are also very similar to those formed when nandrolone is synthesized which indeed reveal that the athlete cannot always be held responsible of consuming them.

Some known names which have been tested positive for the intake of steroid nandrolone are Merlene Ottey, sprinter, Mark Richardson, swimmer, Linford Christie, sprinter, Korda, Czech, tennis player, Djamel Bouras, judo player and Igor Shalimov, footballer.

The Petrozavodsk court in Karelia, Russia is starting to investigate in the case of a criminal group organized by a Petrozavodsk Lutheran pastor of the Holy Spirit parish. In the police records, the 44-year-old pastor, together with a bodybuilding coach, and two other women delivered more than 10 anabolic steroids to a city sports club and traded them to bodybuilders.

The Petrozavodsk court in Russia decided to re-open the case in pursuant to Article 234 of the Russian Criminal Code or the illegal trafficking of drastic or poisonous substances intended for distribution.

From Interfax:

The Petrozavodsk court started investigating the case of a criminal group involved in supply and distribution of anabolic steroids.

According to the police files, a pastor from the Petrozavodsk Lutheran parish of the Holy Spirit, 44, organized a criminal group in July 2007.

Besides him, the group included a representative of the Karelian Bodybuilding Federation, 49, and two women aged 29 and 35, the elder woman was a bodybuilding coach.

The State Drug Enforcement agency and Federal Security Council uncovered their criminal actions in March 2008 in course of a mutual operation. The criminal case was opened in compliance with Article 234 of the Russian Criminal Code (illegal trafficking of drastic or poisonous substances intended for distribution.) More than ten kinds of anabolic steroids listed in state register of medical products were confiscated. It makes about eight thousand tablets and two hundred various ampoules.

Major part of the confiscated drugs was kept in the church, where the group leader worked. During the search, the pastor voluntarily gave out his TT pistol to police officers.

The confiscated anabolic steroids were composed of 8,000 tablets and 200 various anabolic steroid ampoules. Most of the anabolic steroids were found in the church, where the Lutheran pastor works. Aside from the steroids, the police also found a pistol which the pastor voluntarily surrendered.

Out of the 3,693 letters sent for a recent survey of retired NFL players, 2,552 responded openly and about 20.3% of them admitted to have used steroids at one point in their careers. The survey was sent out to members of the NFL Retired Players Association and those who participated played during the 1980’s, when drug testing was still not done. From the survey, the majority of steroid users were offensive linemen or defensive linemen. These two groups also registered with having the highest number of injuries on several joints mainly involving the ligaments and cartilages.

From CBC Sports:

The injury patterns suggest that joint ligaments and cartilage, rather than tendons, might not adapt to muscle changes brought about by steroids, making them “weakest link in the chain,” said lead author Dr. Scott Horn of the UNC School of Medicine.

The survey indicated no steroid related increase in the risk of injury to the muscle (biceps and triceps) and no increase of injury to shoulders and tendons.

Based on previous studies, the researchers suspected that tendons might be at increased risk to cope with a rapid increase in muscle size and strength.

The findings of the research correlated the injuries caused by steroid use with other negative health effects through a “snowball effect”. This means that injuries that have occurred led to the development of more health problems later on in life. This was further determined when respondents who had used steroids also admitted to suffering various systemic diseases such as osteoarthritis and depression, and having a generally physically inactive lifestyle years after the injuries have occurred. The development of these medical entities which also include obesity and diabetes is gradual.

The latest downturn in Roger Clemens’ life had cost him $3 million.

According to the report by the New York Daily News, the pitcher’s name is being dropped from the Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine. The Houston’s Memorial Hermann announced recently their intent to erase the name of Clemens from the institution.

A statement from the medical facility announced: “To better reflect its commitment to all sports and athletes, the facility will transition to become known as the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, effective Jan. 1, 2009. The move reflects a desire to promote the broad range of sports medicine services and programs offered by Memorial Hermann across the greater Houston area.”

Reportedly, the embattled slugger donated $3 million to Memorial Hermann for a pediatric wing at Memorial Hermann’s Children’s Hospital.

When asked for any comments, Clemens’ lawyer did not offer any.

Since the BALCO Affair in 2003, controversies have been dogging the once famed player of the major league. His name was among the elite athletes who were alleged of using anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

He was asked to testify before a grand jury and his name appeared more than 80 times in the Mitchell Report. His former trainer Brian McNamee testified that he had personal knowledge of Clemens’ use of anabolic steroids, saying that he had injected Clemens with Winstrol during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 seasons.

His personal life is also not without its share of “special report” moments. The Daily News broke the news in April that Clemens had been romantically involved with country singer Mindy McCready for ten years. The affair allegedly started when the singer was only 15 years old.

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