Poor impulse control and even violent behavior have long been observed in people who use steroids. Medical Uses for Anabolic Steroids Anabolic steroids were developed in the 1930s to treat rare diseases in males whose testosterone production was very low or non-existent. Steroids were also used to treat certain types of anemia and kidney problems. They are also helpful in treating severe burns and some types of breast cancer. Even with the new anabolic steroids, the androgenic properties are still present to some degree, and it is these properties that result in side-effects.
Doctors prescribe the lowest dose possible that helps the patient.
The doses required to build muscle for athletes are much higher than those for patients with legitimate medical problems. This means there is no safe use of steroids for those not under a doctor's care. Routine blood tests will not detect much of the short-term damage until it is too late and permanent damage has occurred. Further, since 80 percent of the steroids used by athletes are from illegal sources, users have no idea what they are really getting. The desire to succeed in athletics, especially in lucrative professional sports, has always meant that some athletes will look beyond the search for performance-enhancing diets and workouts to chemicals that they believe will give them the edge.