madman
Super Moderator
Lesson 9
auau.auanet.org
ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC STEROID ABUSE
7:11-19:30 (cardiac, fertility, sexual dysfunction, psychological, hepatic, musculoskeletal, gynecomastia, acne, male pattern baldness, immune system, withdrawal)
*this finding introduces the important yet unproven construct of TESTOSTERONE HYPERSUPPLEMENTATION DEPENDANCE leading to a NEW PHYSIOLOGIC AND PSYCHOLOGIC SET-POINT
*both supratherapeutic testosterone as well as testosterone deficiency can ALTER BRAIN CHEMISTRY resulting in CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR
*nandrolone decanoate leads to REDUCED NITRIC OXIDE AVAILABILITY and IMPAIRED VASODILATION
*evidence of significant increase incidence of ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE and other similar forms of DEMENTIA in those who had a history of ANABOLIC ANDROGENIC STEROID ABUSE
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Summary Points
• Testosterone, the main endogenous active androgen, is used to treat many clinical conditions
• Testosterone and other androgens are also used by athletes, non athlete weightlifters or bodybuilders to enhance muscle development, strength, and performance and endurance
• Testosterone at supraphysiological levels increases cardiovascular disease risk, causes myocardial infarction, stroke, high blood pressure, blood clots, and heart failure
• Testosterone affects the cardiovascular system by changing lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, hemostatic mechanisms, sympathetic nervous system, and renin angiotensin-aldosterone system
• Testosterone activates proinflammatory and redox processes, decreases nitric oxide bioavailability, and stimulates vasoconstrictor signaling pathways
• Testosterone affects the vasculature by interfering with all mechanisms that control vascular function
• In the endothelium, testosterone modulates NO, COX-derived metabolites and EDHF release and signaling
• In VSMCs, testosterone modulates ROS generation, expression, and activity of receptors and ion channels
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*The most damaging direct effects are the neuropsychiatric
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*AAS use has a range of adverse health and social consequences (3, 4). Yet, the long-term effects on brain health and cognition are understudied, which is paradoxical since sex steroids readily pass the blood-brain barrier and affect the central nervous system (CNS)
*The biological action of AAS and their metabolites are primarily mediated via the androgen receptors (AR), however many will also exert physiological effects via estrogen receptor pathways, upon aromatization (5, 6). Sex steroid receptors are widely expressed in the brain, and abundantly in regions such as the brainstem, hypothalamus, amygdala, striatum, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex (7-9)
*While neuroprotective effects of physiological doses of testosterone have been observed (19, 20), growing evidence suggests that high-dose long-term AAS use harms the brain
*Moreover, AAS use frequently causes cardiomyopathy (27, 28), atherosclerotic disease (27), prolonged hypogonadism (upon withdrawal) (29, 30), lower LDL cholesterol level (31), impaired insulin sensitivity (32), and occasionally toxicity to liver and kidney (33), with potential implications for brain health (34, 35)
www.excelmale.com
KEY POINTS
*Elite athletes commonly abuse androgenic steroids as performance-enhancing drugs and use a variety of tactics to avoid discovery but methods and processes to detect abuse of these performance-enhancing drugs have evolved
*Among the general population, long-term abuse of androgenic steroids seems to be uncommon but the highest risk groups are teenage boys and young men who are in competitive sports or who are bodybuilders and weightlifters
*When used at high doses for prolonged periods, there are detrimental effects on the reproductive axis and potentially on the cardiovascular, hepatic, hematologic, neuropsychiatric, and dermatologic systems
*Androgenic steroid abuse must be distinguished from the use of physiologic dosages for male hypogonadism
*Androgens at physiologic or near physiologic dosages are generally safe and might also be useful in chronic catabolic states, sarcopenia, hypoproliferative anemia, and as a component of male hormonal contraceptives
Update Series (2024): Audio Playlist | AUA University
ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC STEROID ABUSE
7:11-19:30 (cardiac, fertility, sexual dysfunction, psychological, hepatic, musculoskeletal, gynecomastia, acne, male pattern baldness, immune system, withdrawal)
*this finding introduces the important yet unproven construct of TESTOSTERONE HYPERSUPPLEMENTATION DEPENDANCE leading to a NEW PHYSIOLOGIC AND PSYCHOLOGIC SET-POINT
*both supratherapeutic testosterone as well as testosterone deficiency can ALTER BRAIN CHEMISTRY resulting in CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR
*nandrolone decanoate leads to REDUCED NITRIC OXIDE AVAILABILITY and IMPAIRED VASODILATION
*evidence of significant increase incidence of ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE and other similar forms of DEMENTIA in those who had a history of ANABOLIC ANDROGENIC STEROID ABUSE
High Testosterone Levels: Impact on the Heart
Abstract Testosterone, the main endogenous active androgen, is used to treat many clinical conditions, such as hypogonadism, infertility, erectile dysfunction, osteoporosis, anemia, and in transgender therapy (female-to-male transsexuals). Androgens are also used by athletes to enhance...
www.excelmale.com
Summary Points
• Testosterone, the main endogenous active androgen, is used to treat many clinical conditions
• Testosterone and other androgens are also used by athletes, non athlete weightlifters or bodybuilders to enhance muscle development, strength, and performance and endurance
• Testosterone at supraphysiological levels increases cardiovascular disease risk, causes myocardial infarction, stroke, high blood pressure, blood clots, and heart failure
• Testosterone affects the cardiovascular system by changing lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, hemostatic mechanisms, sympathetic nervous system, and renin angiotensin-aldosterone system
• Testosterone activates proinflammatory and redox processes, decreases nitric oxide bioavailability, and stimulates vasoconstrictor signaling pathways
• Testosterone affects the vasculature by interfering with all mechanisms that control vascular function
• In the endothelium, testosterone modulates NO, COX-derived metabolites and EDHF release and signaling
• In VSMCs, testosterone modulates ROS generation, expression, and activity of receptors and ion channels
Androgen use, misuse, and abuse
Has been at this for decades! Tough cookie and a stickler when it comes to testosterone/AAS whether therapeutically or abused for the sole purpose of muscle/strength enhancement. *David Handelsman is a world-leading authority on androgen physiology, pharmacology, and toxicology arising from...
www.excelmale.com
*The most damaging direct effects are the neuropsychiatric
Anabolic steroid use, brain health and dependence
Anabolic steroid use has been found to have negative effects on brain health, cognitive function, and mental health, particularly in long-term users and those who develop dependence. Highlights Anabolic steroids can lead to smaller brain volumes, reduced cortical thickness, and structural...
www.excelmale.com
AAS accelerate brain aging
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210325084537.htm#:~:text=Previous%20studies%20have%20shown%20that,cognitive%20tests%20than%20non%2Dusers.&text=Not%20surprisingly%2C%20AAS%20users%20had,use%2C%20showed%20accelerated%20brain%20aging. Astrid Bjørnebekk, Ph.D., Division of Mental...
www.excelmale.com
*AAS use has a range of adverse health and social consequences (3, 4). Yet, the long-term effects on brain health and cognition are understudied, which is paradoxical since sex steroids readily pass the blood-brain barrier and affect the central nervous system (CNS)
*The biological action of AAS and their metabolites are primarily mediated via the androgen receptors (AR), however many will also exert physiological effects via estrogen receptor pathways, upon aromatization (5, 6). Sex steroid receptors are widely expressed in the brain, and abundantly in regions such as the brainstem, hypothalamus, amygdala, striatum, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex (7-9)
*While neuroprotective effects of physiological doses of testosterone have been observed (19, 20), growing evidence suggests that high-dose long-term AAS use harms the brain
*Moreover, AAS use frequently causes cardiomyopathy (27, 28), atherosclerotic disease (27), prolonged hypogonadism (upon withdrawal) (29, 30), lower LDL cholesterol level (31), impaired insulin sensitivity (32), and occasionally toxicity to liver and kidney (33), with potential implications for brain health (34, 35)
Androgenic Steroids Use and Abuse
INTRODUCTION The effects of androgens have been an area of great interest ever since Charles Edouard Brown reported marked improvements in energy and vigor after self-administering an aqueous extract of canine and bovine testes in the 1870s. In 1935, Ernst Laqueur isolated, and Adolf Butenandt...
www.excelmale.com
KEY POINTS
*Elite athletes commonly abuse androgenic steroids as performance-enhancing drugs and use a variety of tactics to avoid discovery but methods and processes to detect abuse of these performance-enhancing drugs have evolved
*Among the general population, long-term abuse of androgenic steroids seems to be uncommon but the highest risk groups are teenage boys and young men who are in competitive sports or who are bodybuilders and weightlifters
*When used at high doses for prolonged periods, there are detrimental effects on the reproductive axis and potentially on the cardiovascular, hepatic, hematologic, neuropsychiatric, and dermatologic systems
*Androgenic steroid abuse must be distinguished from the use of physiologic dosages for male hypogonadism
*Androgens at physiologic or near physiologic dosages are generally safe and might also be useful in chronic catabolic states, sarcopenia, hypoproliferative anemia, and as a component of male hormonal contraceptives
