The Pros and Cons of Anabolic Steroid Drug to Health

Anabolic steroid which is also called as ‘Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid' belongs to a class of steroid hormones that links to hormone testosterone. It increases protein production within the cells thus build up cellular tissue or build muscles and body mass. This can be either natural or synthetic endocrine that regulates the body functions.

In 1930, Anabolic steroid was discovered and some drug company created anabolic steroid drugs as indicated for some medical purposes such as bone growth stimulation, appetency, puberty, and muscle development. But the most outlying use of Anabolic steroid is for chronic conditions like AIDS and cancer.

However, anabolic steroid drugs are one of the most controversial drugs today. These drugs are often taken as performance & stamina enhancing drugs. Thus, they often abuse and overuse the drugs resulting to various side effects and grave outcome such as giddiness, early hair loss, mood swings such as anger, depression and aggression; delusion, feelings of fear and suspicion, sleeping problems, vomiting and nausea, trembling, joint pains, yellow fever, high blood pressure, urinary system problems, heart problems, stroke, and liver damage.

Both genders can be affected by the anabolic steroid drugs. In males, the major anabolic steroid side effects are gynecomastia or increased breast or nipple size, enlarged prostate gland, powerlessness and reduced sperm count. While in females, it results to excessive hair growth on body and face, decreased breast size, deepened voice and menstrual problems.

Due to its health hazards, they come up with a directive that the drug can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription wherein it can only be used when human body produces lesser testosterone quantities such as delayed puberty and impotence.

And based to the 1988 US federal law, the use and distribution of anabolic steroid drugs is prohibited wherein these drugs were put under the category of controlled substances in 1991.

Furthermore, the anabolic steroid drugs have an anticoagulant effect like in warfarin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and aspirin. So anabolic steroid drug must be used in precaution. Other side effect of the drug is that there is a risk of foot and ankle swelling and acne stimulation when anabolic steroid drugs and corticosteroids are used simultaneously. On the other hand, the anabolic steroid drugs may also be helpful to diabetic patients because the drug helps to lower the blood glucose levels. But it should be utilized with extreme care in patients taking insulin or other anti-diabetic drugs.