The Influence of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids on Males’ Hormones Among Gym-Goers in Mosul City

Abstract

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS) misuse are growing worldwide and misused especially among male bodybuilders and gyms-goers for building muscle to improve their physical appearance. AAS misuse is considered a preventable factor of male fertility because it affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis resulting in secondary male hypogonadism, and then transient or persistent suppression of spermatogenesis. Study aimed to investigate the influence of anabolic steroids misuse on the serum concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and free testosterone. A prospective cohort study was conducted on 80 healthy male gym-goers divided into the case and control group who attending gyms in Mosul city. A structured interviewing questionnaire was used to collect information related to AAS misuse, blood sampling collected for evaluation of males' hormones in a private analytics Lab, for a period 25th October 2020 until 15th March 2021. Study finding shows that males' hormones of AAS group exhibited highly significant (P.>0.001) in the overall mean of serum concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and free testosterone. ROC curve analysis reveals a highly significant deference at (P.>0.001) of males' hormones, which area under the curve was for follicle stimulating hormone: 0.94, luteinizing hormone: 0.93, and free testosterone: 0.81. The misuse of AAS exhibited a severe decrease in concentrations of gonadotropins and free testosterone with may be considered an excellent predictor of secondary male hypogonadism. The study recommends the necessity to prevent abuse of anabolic steroids and instruct about the adverse effects that result from using it and especially on fertility.