Androstenedione is a kind of dietary supplements that was peddled to athletes for years as a fast path to bulging muscle mass and excessive testosterone ranges, however it carries some grave risks.
Often known as “andro,” the dietary complement was as soon as touted to boost athletic efficiency by stimulating muscle progress and boosting testosterone ranges. However as soon as it enters the physique, it acts like a steroid and may pose comparable 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 consider that its use might improve the danger of significant well being issues due to its conversion within the physique to the hormones testosterone and a selected type of estrogen.
Whereas over-the-counter androstenedione dietary supplements at the moment are banned, docs can nonetheless prescribe it for medical functions.
In response to a examine printed on-line just lately within the journal Molecules, docs can supply androstenedione photographs for stopping or treating sure power illnesses.
Androstenedione’s risks
However the complement is linked to quite a few negative effects.
In response to the Mayo Clinic, long-term use of androstenedione dietary supplements by males can lead to testicular atrophy, impotence and the event of feminine traits reminiscent of breast enlargement.
Girls who use these merchandise might develop male traits reminiscent of male sample baldness, deepening of the voice, elevated facial hair and enlargement of the clitoris. Girls can even develop irregular menstrual cycles, irregular bleeding and blood clots. Androstenedione can even improve the danger 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 progress.
Andro dietary supplements can even harm the center and blood vessels in anybody who takes it, elevating the danger for coronary heart assaults and strokes, in line with the Mayo Clinic.
Drug interactions
Not solely can these dietary supplements trigger undesirable negative effects: In addition they can work together dangerously with quite a few different drugs.
In response to Drug Financial institution, concentrations of androstenedione can improve when taken with the pinnacle lice drug abametapir or lower when used with the center 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 stop nausea from chemotherapy.
The drug HIV drug atazanavir can even improve 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 may be affected when the drug berotralstat is used. Berotralstat is used to stop angioedema, a hereditary swelling of the face, in line with Drug Financial institution.
“Whereas andro merchandise might appear to have short-term advantages, the science reveals that these identical properties create actual and important 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 palms of our impressionable youth who might consider these merchandise will assist their improvement,” McClellan stated. “Anybody who takes these merchandise in ample portions to construct muscle or enhance efficiency is placing himself or herself in danger for severe long-term and doubtlessly irreversible well being penalties.”
Extra data:
Marwa T. Badawy et al, Androstenedione (a Pure Steroid and a Drug Complement): A Complete Assessment of Its Consumption, Metabolism, Well being Results, and Toxicity with Intercourse Variations, Molecules (2021). DOI: 10.3390/molecules26206210
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