Increase risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Steroids also have gender specific effects.
In males, reduced sperm production, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, difficulty or pain in urinating, baldness, and irreversible breast enlargement. In females, development of more masculine characteristics, such as decreased body fat and breast size, deepening of the voice, excessive growth of body hair, and loss of scalp hair, as well as clitoral enlargement. In adolescents of both sexes, premature termination of the adolescent bone growth, so that steroid abusers remain shorter than they would have been without the drugs. The meeting fostered much discussion regarding the problem of steroid abuse while informing the public and scientific community about the development of effective prevention interventions for steroid abuse. This event not only allowed NIDA to address disturbing trends in steroid abuse and attitudes but also afforded us an opportunity to showcase some our best science in this area.