Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic Steroids

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anabolicsteroids.html

Also called: Also called: Anabolic-androgenic steroids, Performance-enhancing drugs

Anabolic steroids are man-made substances related to male sex hormones. Medical uses of anabolic steroids include some hormone problems in men, late puberty and muscle loss from some diseases.

Bodybuilders and athletes often use anabolic steroids to build muscles and improve athletic performance. But using them this way is not legal or safe. Abuse of anabolic steroids has been linked with many health problems. They range from unattractive to life threatening and include

* Acne and cysts
* Breast growth and shrinking of testicles and in men
* Voice deepening and growth of body hair in women
* Heart problems, including heart attack
* Liver disease, including cancer
* Aggressive behavior

National Institute on Drug Abuse
Start Here

* Steroids(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/fitness/safety/steroids.html
* Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic)From the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/steroids.html

Overviews

* Anabolic Steroid AbuseFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Steroids/AnabolicSteroids.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Esteroides/Esteroides.html
* Hormone Abuse Prevention and What You Need to Know(Hormone Foundation) - http://www.hormone.org/Abuse/prevention.cfm
* Steroids(Office of National Drug Control Policy) - http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/steroids/

Treatment

* Treatment Approaches for Drug AddictionFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/TreatMeth.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/Metodos-Sp.html

Related Issues

* 'Natural' Steroids: Are They Safe?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/natural-steroids/HQ00226/METHOD=print
* Taking Performance-Enhancing Drugs: Are You Risking Your Health?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/performance-enhancing-drugs/HQ01105/METHOD=print

Clinical Trials

* ClinicalTrials.gov: Anabolic AgentsFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Anabolic+Agents%22

Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

* Article: Screening of in vitro synthesised metabolites of 4,9,11-trien-3-one steroids by... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18708698&tool=MedlinePlus
* Article: Screening for two selective androgen receptor modulators using gas chromatography-mass... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18708695&tool=MedlinePlus
* Article: Medicine and science in the fight against doping in sport. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18702750&tool=MedlinePlus
* Anabolic Steroids -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=anabolic+agents[mh]+AND+(doping+in+sports[mh]+OR+sports[mh]+OR+steroids[majr]+OR+substance+abuse+detection[mh]+OR+substance+related+disorders[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Dictionaries/Glossaries

* Street Terms: Drugs and the Drug Trade - Drug Type: Steroids(Office of National Drug Control Policy) - http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/ByType.asp?intTypeID=46

Directories

* Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/

Organizations

* Drug Enforcement Administration - http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/
* National Institute on Drug AbuseFrom the National Institutes of Health - http://www.nida.nih.gov/
* Office of National Drug Control Policy - http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/

Children

* Steroids(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/steroids.html
* Steroids(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/fitness/safety/steroids.html

Teenagers

* Are Steroids Worth the Risk?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/steroids.html
* Mind Over Matter: SteroidsFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://teens.drugabuse.gov/mom/mom_ster1.asp
Also available in Spanish http://teens.drugabuse.gov/mom/mom_ster1_spanish.asp
* Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Your Teen Athlete(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/performance-enhancing-drugs/SM00045/METHOD=print

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

* Hormones - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hormones.html
* Substance Abuse Problems - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/substanceabuseproblems.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Anabolic Steroids is the National Institute on Drug Abuse - http://www.nida.nih.gov/

Date last updated: October 23 2008
Topic last reviewed: August 10 2008