Moderate AAS use

[MicroMonster]

Has anyone ever run across a journal article detailing pros/cons of moderate long term AAS usage? AAS heavy abuse has lead to enlarged hearts, various system failures, and lasting hormonal imbalances. I'm trying to convince my GF that AAS used moderately and cyclically is not nearly as damaging long term as what the media portrays. Thanks MM

[jazzjackrabbit]

Originally Posted by MicroMonster

Has anyone ever run across a journal article detailing pros/cons of moderate long term AAS usage? AAS heavy abuse has lead to enlarged hearts, various system failures, and lasting hormonal imbalances. I'm trying to convince my GF that AAS used moderately and cyclically is not nearly as damaging long term as what the media portrays. Thanks MM

You may find some interesting studies about HRT maybe...
Articles about bodybuilders must not be frequent I think.

[liftsiron]

Originally Posted by MicroMonster

Has anyone ever run across a journal article detailing pros/cons of moderate long term AAS usage? AAS heavy abuse has lead to enlarged hearts, various system failures, and lasting hormonal imbalances. I'm trying to convince my GF that AAS used moderately and cyclically is not nearly as damaging long term as what the media portrays. Thanks MM

I'm unsure if the above conditions is actually documentated or rather just speculation. Enlarged hearts occurs in all weight trained athletes with or without steroid use. Some non weight trained athletes also get a slightly enlarged heart, that poses no health hazards. As far as system failure, they occur by the thousands every day in non aas users. I don't advocate non discrimminate steroid use by any means, I have always advocated low to moderate sensible cycles. But steroids is far from being any type of national health threat as potrayed by the media and the jackassholes in the nation's capital.

[liftsiron]

Int J Sports Med. 2003 Jul;24(5):344-51. Related Articles, Links


Prospective echocardiographic assessment of androgenic-anabolic steroids effects on cardiac structure and function in strength athletes.

Hartgens F, Cheriex EC, Kuipers H.

Netherlands Centre for Doping Affairs, Capelle aan den IJssel, The Netherlands. fhartgens@wxs.nl

Since the abuse of androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) has been associated with the occurrence of serious cardiovascular disease in young athletes, we performed two studies to investigate the effects of short-term AAS administration on heart structure and function in experienced male strength athletes, with special reference to dose and duration of drug abuse. In Study 1 the effects of AAS were assessed in 17 experienced male strength athletes (age 31 +/- 7 y) who self-administered AAS for 8 or 12 - 16 weeks and in 15 non-using strength athletes (age 33 +/- 5 y) in a non-blinded design. In Study 2 the effects of administration of nandrolone decanoate (200 mg/wk i. m.) for eight weeks were investigated in 16 bodybuilders in a randomised double blind, placebo controlled design. In all subjects M-mode and two-dimensional Doppler-echocardiography were performed at baseline and after 8 weeks AAS administration. In the athletes of Study 1 who used AAS for 12 - 16 weeks a third echocardiogram was also made at the end of the AAS administration period. Echocardiographic examinations included the determination of the aortic diameter (AD), left atrium diameter (LA), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), interventricular septum thickness (IVS), posterior wall end diastolic wall thickness (PWEDWT), left ventricular mass (LVM), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), ejection fraction (EF) and right ventricular diameter (RVD). For assessment of the diastolic function measurements of E and A peak velocities and calculation of E/A ratio were used. In addition, acceleration and deceleration times of the E-top (ATM and DT, respectively) were determined. For evaluation of factors associated with stroke volume the aorta peak flow (AV) and left ventricular ejection times (LVET) were determined. In Study 1 eight weeks AAS self-administration did not result in changes of blood pressure or cardiac size and function. Additionally, duration of AAS self-administration did not have any impact on these parameters. Study 2 revealed that eight weeks administration of nandrolone decanoate did not induce significant alterations in blood pressure and heart morphology and function. Short-term administration of AAS for periods up to 16 weeks did not lead to detectable echocardiographic alterations of heart morphology and systolic and diastolic function in experienced strength athletes The administration regimen used nor the length of AAS abuse did influence the results. Moreover, it is concluded that echocardiographic evaluation may provide incomplete assessment of the actual cardiac condition in AAS users since it is not sensitive enough to detect alterations at the cellular level. Nevertheless, from the present study no conclusions can be drawn of the cardiotoxic effects of long term AAS abuse.

[liftsiron]

Posted by Torsten on CEM


This article is accepted by the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for publishing this year.
It is the first (really!) study dealing not only with present steroid use, but also with former aas users. I had a hard time getting enough bbs for statistical significance with steroid experience over several years, but being clean for at least one year at the point of examination.
The very difficult recruiting of such bbs is probably the reason for the lack of data on former aas users.

Internal and cardiologic long term health complications after several years of anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse

In contrast to several studies about the acute complications of anabolic steroid (AS) abuse, data from former long-term abusers (ExU) are lacking. There is also a paucity of data concerning the reversibilty of many acute side effects, e.g. a concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. We therefore investigated male bodybuilders and powerlifters, i.e. 15 ExU after withdrawel of AS for at least 12 months – 43 months on average – (weekly dosage 700 mg on 26 weeks per year over 9 years, mean values) as well as 17 athletes still abusing these substances (U, weekly dosage 750 mg on 33 weeks per year over 8 years). The “AS-Score”, which estimates the dosage and duration of AS abuse by a point score, did not differ between U and ExU. Echocardiographic and ergometry data were compared to 15 weightlifters (WL) of the German national team. U had a slightly higher systolic blood pressure in comparison with ExU (U: 140 ± 10, ExU: 130 ± 5 mmHg; means±SD; p < 0,05) and a clearly higher systolic blood pressure in comparison to WL (125 ± 10 mmHg, p < 0,001). The body dimension-related total heart volumina were similar in ExU and U, but significantly lower in WL. The LV muscle mass related to the fat-free body mass (FFM) of U (3,32 ± 0,48g/kg) was not significantly higher than in ExU (3,16 ± 0,53), but lower in WL (2,43 ± 0,26; p < 0,001). Concerning the mean LV wall thickness only the absolute values differed (p < 0,05) between U (11,8 ± 1,2mm and 0,14 ± 0,01mm/FFM) and ExU (10,8 ± 0,7 and 0,15 ± 0,02), but not if related to FFM; in WL all measures were significantly lower (9,8 ± 1,0 and 0,12 ± 0,01; p < 0,05-0,001). The mean LV wall thickness of U showed a weak correlation with the AS-Score (r = 0,49, p < 0,05). The ratio between LV wall thickness and internal diameter was not significantly different between U (42,1 ± 4,4 %) and ExU (40,3 ± 3,8), but increased in comparison with WL, respectively (36,5 ± 4,0; p < 0,001 and < 0,05). No differences in (normal) systolic and (reduced compared with WL) diastolic LV function were found between U and ExU.

In blood, haemoglobin (+5%), leukocytes (+33%) and platelets (+38%) were significantly higher in U than in ExU. The transaminases were above the normal range in all but one U and significantly higher compared to ExU, cholinesterase (CHE) in U was lower than in ExU. GPT and GOT (U: 65 ± 55 and 38 ± 27; ExU: 24 ± 10 and 18 ± 11 U/l, respectively; p < 0,001) and CHE correlated significantly with the “AS-Score” (r = 0,63 and –0,62, resp.; both p < 0,01). HDL-cholesterol was clearly lower in U as in ExU (17 ± 11 mg/dl and 43 ± 11 mg/dl, resp.; p < 0,001) with a weak correlation with the “AS-Score” (r = 0,50, p < 0,05). Total testosterone and estradiol blood levels were significantly higher in U, but LH and FSH as well as the binding protein SHBG were lower as in ExU (all p < 0,001). Two ExU had total testosterone levels below the normal range.

It is concluded that the massive long term abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids leads to a slight increase of systolic blood pressure in the high normal range and an increase in left ventricular wall thickness with an impairment in left ventricular diastolic function as well to negative alterations in lipid metabolism, liver function and hormones of the hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axis.

The alterations were reversible in most cases after stopping the medication for longer periods. In cases of some individuals the testosterone synthesis was suppressed even years after ceasing anabolic androgenic steroid abuse. Even several years after ceasing anabolic steroid abuse there can be found at least a tendencial concentric LVH with impaired diastolic function in strength athletes.

	protein

[MicroMonster]

Thanks guys I appreciate it. MM

[alluprbdy]

interesting read.

[paramuscle]

Keep in mind that all of these "doctors" were taught by other "doctors" and 99.997% of these fuckers have never even seen a steroid and wouldn't know what one was if it ran them over in a freaking car.

[JOEYZ]

I would like to see one of these studies include an arteriogram after 9 years or whatever it said..............Im curious what the difference would be. LIke Lifts, Im not a big advocate of larger cycles either. Ive stated this many times before.................the body is an amazing mechinism that in several circumstances, wont show symptoms of any disease, injury or illness untill a larger percentage of body function is lost.......................for example, the heart not showing symptoms of damage until the arteries are almost completely closed, the lungs not showing symptoms until around %50 of lung function is impaired, and so on. I definately dont think that the media's perception of steroids is anywhere CLOSE to what the truth is, but I also dont think a lot of people realize the possibilities of health problems that could occur either.

Lifts................where did you find those articles? I would like to read more of them if they are published............

[liftsiron]

I found the articles on CEM under "long term steroid use". Quite a few popped up.