Incidence of anabolic androgenic steroids for non-therapeutic use is highly prevalent among young people.

Previously, AAS was only used widely among athletes who require greater muscular strength. Nowadays, even teens in their high school years were found to be long-term steroid users.

Improvement of appearance is the top motive for AAS use among bodybuilders, weightlifters and other athletes. For adolescents, it is the second most important motive.

Some of the side effects associated with non-medical steroids use were chronic liver damage, heart problems, and changes in secondary sexual characteristics, not to mention increased aggression, depression, irritability and mood swings.

A group of researchers obtained survey samples from a group of Norwegian high school students age 15 to 19 and conducted the study within a four-year period.

Results showed that involvement in power sports, frequent alcohol intoxication; cannabis use, sexual debut before the age of 15 and previous AAS use were indicators of future AAS use.

Researchers also found that males are more likely to use AAS than females.

Young age is also one predictor of anabolic androgenic steroid use.

This research is actually the first to conduct studies on predictors of future AAS use.

P.J. Braun, 2006 NPC New England heavyweight bodybuilding champion, has had gynecomastia surgery to remove bitch tits that he once developed during his early amateur bodybuilding days.

In this video, he endorses Dr. Mordecai Blau and firmly recommends him for performing this type of procedure.

For those of you muscle rats who have serious cases of gyno and are considering this option, Dr. Blau’s medical office is located in White Plains, NY…. and you can find out more about his practice HERE.

Anabolic steroids do not only bulk up the bodies of bodybuilders and athletes but also pump their gums.

According Dr. Onur Ozcelik and his colleagues from Cukurova University, the overgrown gums make it easier for bacteria in plaque to accumulate, placing steroid users at risk for severe gum infection.

The study compared the gums of 24 body builders who had been using anabolic steroids for less than one year with 20 body builders who had never used steroids. All participants were between the ages of 17 and 29. Gum thickness, encroachment of gum tissue onto teeth, and other measurements were rated on a scale from 0 (normal) to 3 (worst).

After the study, the team found out that steroid users have significantly enlarged gums but they did not have more plaque underneath their gums.

From medpage today:

The overgrown gums make it easier for bacteria in plaque to accumulate, placing steroid users at risk for severe gum infection, said Onur Ozcelik, D.D.S., Ph.D., and colleagues of Cukurova University here in the July issue of the Journal of Periodontology.

The gingiva is affected by sex hormones, and clinical changes in periodontal tissue have been observed during puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and with the use of oral contraceptives, Dr. Ozcelik and colleagues said.

Compared with their steroid-free counterparts, the steroid users were found to have:

1) significantly thicker gums (an average score of 1 versus 0.3; P<.001).
2) more gingival encroachment onto teeth (an average score of 0.9 versus 0.2; P<.001).
3) more overall gingival enlargement (average score 0.9 versus 0.3; P<.001).

The research team said that because it is not known if the gingival enlargement would also regress after the withdrawal of anabolic androgenic steroids, so dentists and periodontists have to be familiar with the potential side effects of anabolic steroids to the gingival tissues.

Interesting stuff!!!!

If you’re afflicted with allergies and occassional sinus attacks (just like us), then pay attention!

Budesonide, a steroid nasal wash, can help in minimizing the symptoms of chronic sinusitis without affecting functions of the adrenal gland, as per a small U.S. Study.

Chronic Sinusitis refers to a continuing inflammation of the nose and sinuses behind it, which affects up to 14 percent of the U.S. Population.

Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis said that this study was the first to examine safety of such a nasal wash besides noting that suppression of the functions of the adrenal gland is a known complication of Budesonide.

From Bio-Medicine.Org:

All participants reported at least some improvement in their sinusitis symptoms, and their adrenal gland function was not affected, the study found. The results were published in the March issue of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.

“The clinical significance of this study is that budesonide nasal respules appear safe for short-term use for the relief of symptoms associated with chronic sinusitis,” the researchers concluded. “Budesonide respules seem to provide an effective treatment option for the patient with chronic rhinosinusitis with minimal fear of systemic adverse effects.”

The FDA has yet to approve Budesonide as a nasal wash.

This means that the nasal wash of this study would be an off-label use of the drug.

In the meanwhile, researchers advised doctors to advise patients about the risks associated with long-term use of Budesonide such as decreased bone mineral density.

Kinda cool if used appropriately, huh?

But this is not the kind of steroid you would use in a bodybuilding cycle… we just wanted to highlight this story because of the bad reputation that word “steroids” has earned lately.

Pamela Fraker, MSU Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a lead scientist, said that the neuro-endocrine system plays a big role in the human immune system and body overweight.

A number of factors such as poor diet, certain steroids, chronic stress do affect the immune system of the body.

Researchers studied the relationship between metabolism, the immune system and the neuro-endocrine systems. The study showed that the leptin, which is the hormone secreted by fat cells, administered the effect of white blood cell production in the body, enhancing body’s immune function.

From Brightsurf:

Scientists know that a number of factors can affect the body’s immune system: poor diet, certain steroids, chronic stress. Now researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that an appetite-controlling hormone also affects the immune system, while natural versions of certain steroids do not.

“Many investigators have been trying to unlock the key to obesity for years,” said Fraker. “The more fat a person has, the more leptin there is in the bloodstream. In obese people, it seems that the body becomes leptin-resistant — the signals get jammed. So giving obese people leptin doesn’t help them lose weight.”

MSU scientists further demonstrated the effect of leptin on immune system by working on mice. This effect was genetically programmed to have non-functional leptin. One of the mice groups was genetically programmed under this study to have non-functional leptin receptors. It was seen that mice that were given leptin had witnessed double the number of B cells, a type of white blood cells produced in the bone marrow that fights infection by making antibodies.

Fraker and his team is further investigating on the fact that that the steroids may help even obese people to increase their immunity. The studies may be released soon and so do the effect of steroids on immune system.

In Austin, Texas, lawmakers are having mix thoughts whether to continue or just abolish the steroid testing for high school student athletes.

The various opinions are brought about by the large expenses incurred by this program.

In the steroid testing conducted during the first two years, only 11 high school students were tested positive for steroid use out of around 29,000 students who undergone the test.

From Chron.com:

AUSTIN — State lawmakers, skeptical about continuing to spend $3 million a year to test high school student athletes for steroids, are considering abolishing the program or at least scaling it back.

The Senate and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who is the main supporter of a random testing program for steroids, want to maintain the current program.

The House wants to abolish it.

“It’s not needed. House members think that we should not do the test at all,” said House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie.

Pitts will lead House members in their negotiations with Senate counterparts.

The tests revealed that most male student athletes in football or wrestling were the ones positive for steroid use. Few of those who want to continue the program are Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Rep. Dan Flynn, who proposed the program two years ago. On the other hand, the House wants to stop the steroid testing program.

Since there are various opinions on the program, the Senate and the House will discuss on the budget including the scope and the pace of this steroid testing because some believe that it is a failure and just a waste of money. Meanwhile some believe that steroid testing on high school student athletes must be continued to protect the health and lives of these young people.

Finally, every concerned individual including Lt. Gov. Dewhurst is willing to have the program be scaled-down or adjusted.

HGH obsessed bodybuilding stud Derek Anthony is looking pretty huge these days.

But in our opinion, he’s starting to get a little too big for own personal taste.

As long as he’s happy, that’s all that matters.

We don’t judge anyone… especially if you’re as yolked out as Derek!

It seems that steroids’ attraction is also making its influence over teenage boys. In their quest for getting the perfect body, teenage boys are increasingly ending up in hospitals after injecting anabolic steroids.

According to the official figures, the admittance of under-18’s in cases of poisoning from anabolic muscle-building drugs has increased by almost half in five years, from 97 to 138. On the other hand, the number of 11 to 15-year-olds teenages using steroids soared by doubling between 2001 and 2007, from 6,800 to 13,300!!!!!

The figures were discovered as a part of a U.K. parliamentary answer given by health minister Dawn Primarolo to Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Tom Brake. Dawn said, “The dramatic increase in the number of children being admitted to hospitals for steroid misuse is extremely concerning.” He further added, “It’s clear that many children feel increasingly pressured by society’s obsession with the perfect body and some are using steroids to try to deal with it.”

In this regard, DrugScope chief executive Martin Barnes said that steroids might be viewed as a shortcut to the perfect body image, but the reality could be quite different.

From Steroidology:

Teenage boys are increasingly ending up in hospital after injecting anabolic steroids in the search for the ‘perfect body’.

The number of under-18s admitted for poisoning from the muscle-building drugs has soared by almost half in five years, from 97 to 138.

But that is only the tip of the iceberg, according to official figures.

The number of 11 to 15-year-olds taking steroids almost doubled between 2001 and 2007, from 6,800 to 13,300.

Children using the drugs are most likely to be young boys who want to emulate sporting and fashion heroes. Anabolic steroids are chemically produced class-C drugs that mimic testosterone. For males, the sideeffects can be withered testicles, sterility and breast growth. In women it can be the growth of facial hair.

Studies like this usually make us think twice about using steroids, but in many cases such studies are biased to begin with.

If you are a teen who is contemplating steroid use, please don’t start.

But if you are dead set on doing it anyway, please at least do your homework!

Autopsy results for WWE wrestler Andrew “The Test” Martin’s death will be released two weeks from now and Vince McMahon is now receiving advice on how to handle the possible media onslaught.

Martin’s demise is the latest in the series of steroids-related deaths in the WWE.

While roid-raging, wrestler Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son then he took his own life.

And Eddie Guerrero died of a heart attack which was also attributed to his long term use of steroids.

With Martin’s death happening at the height of steroid scandal in the world of professional sports, McMahon can only do so much to keep the media mayhem at bay which could probably be worse than what he had gone through with Benoit.

McMahon and the WWE should really start planning on some damage control… especially since Martin’s death will definitely put them on the center ring.

Can’t you just see the matchup: The Media vs. McMahon and WWE.

And this time the WWE can’t rely on their muscles to knockout the opponent.

Because when it comes to the steroid issue, the media can be pretty vicious.

Last year, anabolic steroid paraphernalia linking New York Yankees player Roger Clemens to the use of performance enhancing drugs was tested positive to contain his DNA. This strengthens the testimony of Brian McNamee who was accused of injecting Clemens with PEDs and human growth hormone. Clemens did not deny that he was injected with substances but says they were not steroids…. just Vitamin B12 and lidocaine.

Yeah, ummm, okay….

Well Clemens is NOW accused of committing perjury for telling the Congress last year that he did not use performance enhancing drugs. McNamee says otherwise, producing evidence that would prove Clemens guilty.

And it’s good evidence too, like: vials, syringes and gauze pads!!!

Kinda gross, eh? I mean, who saves biohazard material like that?!! LOL!

Reports claim that Clemens’ DNA was found on one of the syringes and gauzes pads used to wipe his blood.

Rusty Hardin, Clemens’ lawyer, said that it was not surprising that evidence had surfaced.

From The New York Times:

“Duh,” he said with exaggeration. “Do you really think McNamee was going to fabricate this stuff and not make sure there were substances on there? The fact is Roger never used steroids or H.G.H.”

When McNamee handed over the materials to federal authorities in January 2008, he said that he had kept them in a Federal Express box in his basement since he had used them to inject Clemens in 2000 and 2001.

The tests on the materials are being conducted at the Los Angeles-area laboratory of Dr. Don Catlin. Since the government began aggressively looking into the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs in 2002, Catlin has been the lead drug-tester for federal prosecutors.

Personally (and isn’t that what it’s really all about?), we’d feel much better if Roger Clemens just came out and said, “Performance enhancing drugs? You’re damn straight I took them. How else do think I’d be able to win seven Cy Young awards after banging country singer Mindy McCready every night and only getting three hours of sleep?”