Administration of anabolic steroids to patients suffering from HIV and other muscle wasting diseases can lead to modest gains in terms of body weight and muscle mass, as per a recent review.

The magnitude of gains, in context of muscle mass and body weight, can be termed as relevant in clinical terms as per lead author Karen Johns, a Medical Assessment Officer from the Agency Health Canada.

From News-Medical.Net:

Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances similar to the male sex hormone testosterone that promote growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male sexual characteristics.

Although most recently in the news for their misuse by professional athletes, anabolic steroids have legitimate medical application for men with low testosterone and people with certain types of anemia. Two anabolic steroids available in the United States, nandrolone decanoate and oxandrolone, have been used to help increase weight and muscle mass in small studies of people with wasting.

Conversely, anabolic steroid use has been associated with increased rates of HIV in those who share needles or use nonsterile needles when they inject steroids.

In the review studies, anabolic steroids were administered to patients either orally or by injection. The main side effects were mild and included abnormal liver function tests; acne; mild increase in body hair; breast tenderness; increased libido, aggressiveness and irritability; and mood swings — all common side effect of anabolic steroid use.

“The risks and side effects of taking anabolic steroids long-term are certainly of concern,” Johns said. “We were unable to assess these risks in our review due to the short duration of treatment in the studies.”

The review appeared in an issue of The Cochrane Library, which is a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration.

Tags: Anabolic steroid use, anabolic steroids, muscle mass, nandrolone decanoate, oxandrolone, steroids, testosterone

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