Muscle mass and AIDS

Anabolic steroids do increase muscle mass. While this may seem desirable at first, these drugs have very serious side effects. Anabolic steroids fool the body into thinking that testosterone is being produced in large quantities. Excessive use causes a harmful disturbance of the body's normal hormone levels and body chemistry. Cardiovascular side effects are the most common. They include increased heart rate (tachycardia), heart attack (myocardial infarction) even in young athletes, high blood pressure (hypertension), an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad" cholesterol and a decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good" cholesterol that increases the risk of stroke. Other negative side effects may include liver damage, liver tumors (usually not cancerous), and a decrease in blood clotting factors. Young people may develop severe acne. Males may experience shrinking testes, falling sperm count, increased risk of infertility, enlarged breasts, and an enlarged prostate gland and baldness. In addition, the ends of long bones fuse together and stop growing, resulting in permanently stunted growth and short stature. Women frequently show signs of masculinity including the development of facial hair, lower voice, and male-type musculature. They may stop menstruating, may be at higher risk for certain types of cancer and have an increased risk of birth defects in their children.
Anabolic steroids also affect mental health. Their use can cause drastic mood swings, inability to sleep, depression and feelings of hostility. There is some evidence that young men may become more volatile and violent when taking these drugs, a condition know "roid rage." Steroids also may be psychologically and physically addictive to some users. Withdrawal symptoms may include insomnia, fatigue, restlessness, reduced sex drive, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
In addition to these physical and mental side effects, steroid abuse brings other risks, some of which are connected to the way some steroids are manufactured and distributed. The drugs are often made in motel rooms, bathrooms, and warehouses in developing countries and then smuggled into the United States. The potency, purity, and strength of the steroids produced this way are not regulated; therefore, users cannot know how much they are taking. Some users of injectable steroids share needles, increasing the risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis.
Most data on the long-term effects of anabolic steroids on humans come from case reports rather than formal scientific studies. From the case reports, the incidence of life-threatening side effects appears to be low, but serious adverse effects may be under-recognized or under-reported. Data from animal studies seem to support this possibility. One study found that exposing male mice for one-fifth of their lifespan to steroid doses comparable to those taken by human athletes caused a high percentage of premature deaths. Most effects of anabolic steroid use are reversible if the abuser stops taking the drugs, but some, such as short stature, can be permanent.