Bodybuilders and strength athletes making use of anabolic steroids for delivering dramatic on-field performances may end up destroying their kidney. This previously unrecognized finding was revealed by a paper presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA.

The paper indicated that habitual use of anabolic steroids can lead to severe health complications, including severe kidney dysfunction.

From News-Medical.Net:

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. The list of 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).

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