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Anabolic Steroid Use Dangerous for Cholesterol Levels

Athletes have long been known to use anabolic steroids to increase lean muscle mass and give them stronger and better performance. What they may not realize is that they are putting their cholesterol level at a dangerous point by both raising LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowering HDL (good) cholesterol.

A study of the impact of anabolic steroids on those with HIV wasting disease first brought this information to light. Within 12 weeks of using an anabolic steroid, patients with the disease had negatively impacted their cholesterol level. The steroid use in this case did just what was intended - increase the muscle mass in men who were at a high risk of dying, making the impact on cholesterol much less important compared to the short term benefit of the steroid. However, for athletes, body builders or others looking for a fountain of youth, steroid use has been found to pose a different type of risk and life threatening danger.

The research was conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center under the direction of Dr. Carl Grunfeld, MD, PhD, and chief of the metabolism and endocrine sections of the hospital. Full results are published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, March 2006 issue. They outline that there was clear evidence within 12 weeks of steroid use that HDL dropped so significantly along with huge increases in LDL that the risk of heart disease increased by 58 percent. These results came from higher doses of the steroid, the amounts needed to impact muscle mass. In addition, smokers in the group and those with high blood pressure had increased their risk even more.

Medicines and therapies, even short-term use of steroids, can impact cholesterol levels negatively and increase the risk for heart disease. Drug interactions with the steroids can further increase risks as well as life style choices as seen in the VA Medical Center's research. To learn more about how to control your cholesterol level without prescription medications, read The 60-Day Prescription Free Cholesterol Cure.

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