Dietary supplements that are enriched with steroids pose a great risk for severe health ailments, a fact that was reaffirmed by three recent cases reported to researchers at the Henry Ford Hospital.
These cases have been discussed in detail in the current issue of The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology and were related to patients with liver injury and renal failure.
The three cases outlined in the article now bring the total of cases reported in the last year to six.
“Anabolic steroids have long been known to cause liver damage, but what is not widely known is that over-the-counter health foodsupplements may actually contain these compounds,” says Dr. Gordon. “The buyer of these compounds likely has no idea that he is ingesting these agents, even after reading the small print on the label.”
The U.S. F.D.A. had already issued a warning in relation to over-the-counter sale of bodybuildingsupplements enriched with anabolic steroids.
It was remarked by lead author Stuart C. Gordon, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Henry Ford Hospital that though the numbers of such cases may be low now but that does not mean that such kind of supplements can be allowed to pose health risks.
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.
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).
Surgical repair of massive or recurrent tears of the shoulder’s rotator cuff tendons can be improved with anabolic steroids, as per a research from the UNC’s School of Medicine.
The study was led by Dr. Spero Karas, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery in UNC’s School of Medicine and appeared in an issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Anabolic steroids benefit millions of people a year, said Karas, including those with deficiencies in sex hormones and burn victims who need to build up their metabolism to repair musculoskeletal tissue. They also are FDA-approved for treating anemia for their ability to help the body rebuild blood.
As it’s widely known that anabolic steroids can build muscle mass and strength, Karas said he thought these properties might apply to shoulder tissue and that Banes’ bioartificial tendon might provide the appropriate model for testing.
“In this new study, supraspinatus tendon cells were harvested from my patients during rotator cuff surgery, isolated and then sent to Albert’s lab,” Karas said. “The cells were then grown in his culture media to coalesce and form this experimental tendon model, the bioartificial tendon.”
It was further remarked by Karas that there were significant improvements in the biomechanical properties of the bioartificial tendon matrices when they were initially treated with anabolic steroid and then mechanical load or strain.
According to a U.S. Study, steroids can cause long-lasting effect on teenagers’ brains apart from flipping the brain switch for aggression for almost two years.
It was also revealed during the study that anabolic steroids can result in permanent brain changes.
Neuroscientists are deeply concerned about the rising adolescent abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs), given the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s estimate that nearly half a million 8th to 10th-grade students abuse AASs each year.
Not only do steroids set kids up for heavier use of steroids and other drugs later in life, it is known that long-term steroid use can cause mood swings, hallucinations and paranoia, liver damage and high blood pressure, as well as increased risk of heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.
Coming off steroids can also lead to depression.
The researchers at Northeastern University, Boston, examined the behaviour of adolescent hamsters when another hamster was put into their cage.
Dr Richard Melloni, who led the research, remarked that people using or considering to initiate the use of steroids must be highly cautious of health risks from steroids in the long-run and the serious potential for aggression and violence.
It was remarked by many other researchers that teenagers must stay away from steroids as their young bodies cannot handle the effects of steroids like mature bodies and illegal use of steroids is not recommended to any one.
Musli Power X-tra, a flagship product of Kunnath Pharmaceuticals in Mumbai, India, was recently declared as steroid-free after tests were conducted on the said supplement.
Sargam Laboratory located in Chennai; the lab that performed the test declared that it is approved under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and by the Export Inspection Council of India.
Tests conducted on the product include meta content analysis, toxicity study and clinical trials. The product was tested for anabolic steroids, metal content, and toxicity. Based on the results, the product is 100% steroids-free and herbal in content.
Musli Power X-tra is an effective natural sex enhancer. It consists of the highest quality extracts from exotic herbs. It is claimed to increase libido and sexual desire. Aside from these effects, Kunnath Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Musli Power, also claims that certain sexual dysfunctions can be remedied by the supplement.
In men, Musli Power X-tra can help correct erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and inhibited sexual desire. It also improves stamina.
The supplement is also good for women with sexual aversion disorder, female sexual arousal disorder, vaginal dryness, decrease libido, dyspareunia and vaginismus.
The supplement comes in biodegradable containers. Each bottle is sold at a discounted price of $230. It can also be bought online.
Mumbai: Musli Power X-tra, the flagship product of Kunnath Pharmaceuticals, has been declared steroid-free after laboratory tests. The test was conducted at Chennai-based Sargam Laboratory, which is approved under Drugs and Cosmetics Act and by Export Inspection Council of India.
Joshua Alexander Norman, 21, was caught hiding anabolic steroids in his room last August 2009.
A soldier from Darwin, Australia, he was caught possessing steroids in his room at Robertson Barracks during a hygiene inspection.
On November 15, he pleaded guilty to three drug charges before the Darwin Magistrates Court. He admitted to possession of two varieties of steroids and a few cannabis seeds.
According to his lawyer, Michael Burrows, Norman owned some steroidsbecause he uses it for “aesthetic purposes”.
Attorney Burrows further added that what his client had were within the range of personal use. The two tablets were stacked together to achieved maximum results.
Aside from aesthetic purposes, the drug was also used to help him in his job as an infantryman. Norman regularly undergoes drug tests as an army officer. Of all his tests, he never tested positive.
Many steroids users do not only use the drugs for aesthetic purposes but to also to give them the advantage in their work.
Court reports showed that Norman allegedly held the cannabis seeds for a friend. However, he forgot about them.
Magistrate John Birch ordered the drugs to be confiscated and destroyed. He also sentenced Norman and fined him $1,200.
According to a study by scientists from the UT Southwestern Medical Center, treating pneumonia patients with steroidsand antibiotics is far better than treating them with antibiotics alone.
This study also suggested that the use of steroids is an effective option for treatment of inflammation in the lungs of a pneumonia patient. The study was headed by Dr. Robert Hardy, Study’s Senior Author & Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.
From News-medical.net:
Adding corticosteroidsto traditional antimicrobial therapy might help people with pneumonia recover more quickly than with antibiotics alone, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have found.
Unlike theanabolic steroids used to bulk up muscle, corticosteroids are often used to treat inflammation related to infectious diseases, such as bacterial meningitis. Used against other infectious diseases, however, steroid therapy has been shown to be ineffective or even harmful.
In a study available online and in a future issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers at UT Southwestern show that mice infected with a type of severe bacterial pneumonia and subsequently treated with steroidsand antibiotics recovered faster and had far less inflammation in their lungs than mice treated with antibiotics alone.
The study also remarked that a combination of antibiotics and steroids can be considered as one of the best treatment options available in present day times for treating patients during asthma (M pneumoniae infection) attack. It was also said that while antibiotics are good for killing the bug, steroids play an important role by treating inflammation in the lungs.
The findings of this study were supported by the National Institutes of Health.
India confronts another potential suspension of their national weightlifting body. The body was previously banned in 2004 succeeded by a second ban in 2006, since more than three lifters tested positive in one calendar year.
Male lifters Harbhajan Singh, Rajesh Kumar and female Bijaya Devi failed the anti-doping tests directed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The three were an add-on to last month’s two lifters that also tested positive for anabolic steroids use.
According to Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) secretary Baldey Gulati, the three weightlifters screened positive for anabolic steroidsuse at a training camp for the Commonwealth championships.
Shailajah Pujari, a gold medalist at the 75kg women’s division at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and Vicky Batta, a 56kg weightlifter initially occupied the list of Indian weightlifters that tested positive for banned substances.
Last Thursday, Gulati told reporters that he was surprised to learn all those five weightlifters tested positive for some kind ofanabolic steroids.
What is even more questionable is that all five athletes tested for the identical type of anabolic steroids in the similar quantum.
All contenders who tested positive requested their B samples to be examined. They have all refused consuming any sorts of anabolic steroids.
From Reuters India:
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Three more Indian weightlifters havetested positive for doping, taking the latest positive tests to five, and the national body is now facing another suspension.
Despite protests and outcries from members of sporting confederations and sportsmen, the relationship between sports and steroids is getting better than ever with more and more sportsmen making use of steroids than in the past.
While some people say that steroidsare harmful to the human bodies, the truth is often kept hidden and the truth is that steroids do not bring any side effects with them, unless the steroid user starts abusing steroids.
From Entertainment.howstuffworks.com:
Anabolic Steroids
A steroid is a chemical substance derived from cholesterol. The body has several major steroid hormones — cortisol and testosterone in the male, estrogen and progesterone in the female. Catabolic steroids break down tissue, and anabolic steroids build up tissue. Anabolic steroids build muscle and bone mass primarily by stimulating the muscle and bone cells to make new protein.
Athletes use anabolic steroids because they increase muscle strength by encouraging new muscle growth. Anabolic steroids are similar in structure to the male sex hormone, testosterone, so they enhance male reproductive and secondary sex characteristics (testicle development, hair growth, thickening of the vocal cords). They allow the athlete to train harder and longer at any given period.
Anabolic steroids are mostly testosterone (male sex hormone) and its derivatives. Examples of anabolic steroids include:
By having a close look at the above points, it can be clearly concluded that anabolic steroids are exceptional products that helps in building lean muscle mass besides brining favorable changes in body mass and function.
Patients suffering from pneumonia can recover more quickly with a combination of corticosteroids and traditional antimicrobial therapy, as per scientists from the UT Southwestern Medical Center.
It is noteworthy to remember here that Corticosteroidsare generally used to treat inflammation in relevance to infectious disease unlike anabolic steroids that are used to bulk muscles.
In a study available online, researchers at UT Southwestern remarked that mice infected with a certain type of severe bacterial pneumonia and treated with a combination of steroidsand antibiotic therapy experience quicker recovery with less inflammation than a mice treated only with antibiotics.
From News-Medical.Net:
“Some people might think that if you give steroids, it would counteract the effect of the antibiotic,” said Dr. Robert Hardy, associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics and the study’s senior author. “But it turns out you need the antibiotic to kill the bug and the steroid to make the inflammation in the lung from the infection get better. The steroids don’t kill the bugs, but they do help restore health.”
Pneumonia is a lung infection typically characterized by breathing difficulties and spread by coughing and sneezing. Symptoms include headache, fever, chills, coughs, chest pain, sore throat and nausea. Pneumonia caused by the Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacterium is generally a less severe form of the disease that can occur in any age group. It accounts for 20 percent to 30 percent of all community-acquired pneumonia cases.
In the current study, mice infected with the M pneumoniae bacterium were treated daily with a placebo, an antibiotic, a steroid, or a combination of the antibiotic and steroidin order to investigate the effect on M pneumoniae-induced airway inflammation. The animals were then evaluated after one, three and six days of therapy.
“It turns out that the group that got both the antibiotic and the steroids did the best,” Dr. Hardy said. “The inflammation in their lungs got significantly better.”
It was remarked by Dr. Hardy that it is still very early to recommend steroids as a form of standard treatment for patients suffering from this kind of bacterial pneumonia, but he also remarked that the work does support the need for a clinical trial.
Dietary supplements that are enriched with steroids pose a great risk for severe health ailments, a fact that was reaffirmed by three recent cases reported to researchers at the Henry Ford Hospital.
Bodybuilders and strength athletes making use of anabolic 
Surgical repair of massive or recurrent tears of the shoulder’s rotator cuff tendons can be improved with anabolic steroids, as per a research from the UNC’s School of Medicine.
According to a U.S. Study, steroids can cause long-lasting effect on teenagers’ brains apart from flipping the brain switch for aggression for almost two years.
Musli Power X-tra, a flagship product of Kunnath Pharmaceuticals in Mumbai, India, was recently declared as steroid-free after tests were conducted on the said supplement.
Joshua Alexander Norman, 21, was caught hiding 
According to a study by scientists from the UT Southwestern Medical Center, treating pneumonia patients with 
India confronts another potential suspension of their national weightlifting body. The body was previously banned in 2004 succeeded by a second ban in 2006, since more than three lifters tested positive in one calendar year.
Despite protests and outcries from members of sporting confederations and sportsmen, the relationship between sports and steroids is getting better than ever with more and more sportsmen making use of steroids than in the past.
Patients suffering from pneumonia can recover more quickly with a combination of 