Androstenedione is a kind of dietary supplements that was peddled to athletes for years as a fast path to bulging muscle groups and excessive testosterone ranges, but it surely carries some grave risks.
Often known as “andro,” the dietary complement was as soon as touted to reinforce athletic efficiency by stimulating muscle development and boosting testosterone ranges. However as soon as it enters the physique, it acts like a steroid and might pose related well being dangers.
In October 2004, President George Bush signed the Anabolic Steroid Management Act, which reclassified androstenedione from a complement to an anabolic steroid, making it and different steroid-based medication a managed substance. They’re at present banned in sports activities.
This was as a result of a small variety of research of androstenedione led the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration to imagine that its use might enhance the chance of great well being issues due to its conversion within the physique to the hormones testosterone and a specific type of estrogen.
Whereas over-the-counter androstenedione dietary supplements at the moment are banned, medical doctors can nonetheless prescribe it for medical functions.
In keeping with a examine printed on-line not too long ago within the journal Molecules, medical doctors can supply androstenedione photographs for stopping or treating sure persistent ailments.
Androstenedione’s risks
However the complement is linked to quite a few unwanted side effects.
In keeping with the Mayo Clinic, long-term use of androstenedione dietary supplements by males may end up in testicular atrophy, impotence and the event of feminine traits corresponding to breast enlargement.
Ladies who use these merchandise might develop male traits corresponding to male sample baldness, deepening of the voice, elevated facial hair and enlargement of the clitoris. Ladies may also develop irregular menstrual cycles, irregular bleeding and blood clots. Androstenedione may also enhance the chance of breast most cancers and endometrial most cancers.
Amongst kids and youths, androstenedione can put them in danger for a similar hormonal results as adults, in addition to for early onset of puberty and untimely cessation of development.
Andro dietary supplements may also injury the guts and blood vessels in anybody who takes it, elevating the chance for coronary heart assaults and strokes, in response to the Mayo Clinic.
Drug interactions
Not solely can these dietary supplements trigger undesirable unwanted side effects: Additionally they can work together dangerously with various different drugs.
In keeping with Drug Financial institution, concentrations of androstenedione can enhance when taken with the pinnacle lice drug abametapir or lower when used with the guts drug amiodarone.
Different interactions embrace elevated concentrations of androstenedione within the presence of the prostate most cancers drug apalutamide and decreased concentrations when used with aprepitant, which is used to forestall nausea from chemotherapy.
The drug HIV drug atazanavir may also enhance the focus of androstenedione, as can the erectile dysfunction drug avanafil (Stendra).
When androstenedione is used together with the bronchial asthma drug beclomethasone dipropionate, extreme edema might happen. That is additionally the case with the arthritis drug betamethasone.
Additionally, the power to metabolize androstenedione could be affected when the drug berotralstat is used. Berotralstat is used to forestall angioedema, a hereditary swelling of the face, in response to Drug Financial institution.
“Whereas andro merchandise might appear to have short-term advantages, the science reveals that these identical properties create actual and vital well being dangers,” then-FDA Commissioner Dr. Mark McClellan stated when the dietary supplements had been first banned.
“Whereas the merchandise are marketed to athletes, they’ve the potential to get into the fingers of our impressionable youth who might imagine these merchandise will assist their improvement,” McClellan stated. “Anybody who takes these merchandise in enough portions to construct muscle or enhance efficiency is placing himself or herself in danger for critical long-term and doubtlessly irreversible well being penalties.”
Extra info:
Marwa T. Badawy et al, Androstenedione (a Pure Steroid and a Drug Complement): A Complete Overview of Its Consumption, Metabolism, Well being Results, and Toxicity with Intercourse Variations, Molecules (2021). DOI: 10.3390/molecules26206210
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