Could Performance-Enhancing Drugs Be Responsible for Small Pituitary Volume in Retired Boxers?
Authors: Fatih Tanriverdi
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2009)

Letters20 January 2009Could Performance-Enhancing Drugs Be Responsible for Small Pituitary Volume in Retired Boxers?Fatih Tanriverdi, MD, Kursad Unluhizarci, MD, and Fahrettin Kelestimur, MDFatih Tanriverdi, MDFrom Erciyes University Medical School, 38039 Talasyolu, Kayseri, Turkey.Search for more papers by this author, Kursad Unluhizarci, MDFrom Erciyes University Medical School, 38039 Talasyolu, Kayseri, Turkey.Search for more papers by this author, and Fahrettin Kelestimur, MDFrom Erciyes University Medical School, 38039 Talasyolu, Kayseri, Turkey.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-150-2-200901200-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:In our study, use of any kind of drug affecting the pituitary function was an exclusion criterion. None of the retired amateur boxers had a history of using any performance-enhancing drug, such as anabolic steroids or growth hormone, during their career. Although the use of doping agents, growth hormone in particular, is well known among professional athletes in Western countries (1), growth hormone vials were not available in Turkey, especially during the years of the retired boxers' active careers. Moreover, to avoid the use of doping agents, national and international amateur boxing federations have very strict regulations.Although ...References1. Duntas LH, Parisis C. Doping: a challenge to the endocrinologist. A reappraisal in view of the Olympic Games of 2004. Hormones (Athens). 2003;2:35-42. [PMID: 17003000] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Schneider HJ, Kreitschmann-Andermahr I, Ghigo E, Stalla GK, Agha A. Hypothalamopituitary dysfunction following traumatic brain injury and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a systematic review. JAMA. 2007;298:1429-38. [PMID: 17895459] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Tanriverdi F, Taheri S, Ulutabanca H, Caglayan AO, Ozkul Y, Dundar M, et al. Apolipoprotein E3/E3 genotype decreases the risk of pituitary dysfunction after traumatic brain injury due to various causes: preliminary data. J Neurotrauma. 2008;25:1071-77. [PMID: 18707245] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Fatih Tanriverdi, MD; Kursad Unluhizarci, MD; Fahrettin Kelestimur, MDAffiliations: From Erciyes University Medical School, 38039 Talasyolu, Kayseri, Turkey.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoBrief Communication: Pituitary Volume and Function in Competing and Retired Male Boxers Fatih Tanriverdi , Kursad Unluhizarci , Ismail Kocyigit , Ibrahim S. Tuna , Zuleyha Karaca , Ahmet C. Durak , Ahmet Selcuklu , Felipe F. Casanueva , and Fahrettin Kelestimur Could Performance-Enhancing Drugs Be Responsible for Small Pituitary Volume in Retired Boxers? Daniel S. Berman Metrics 20 January 2009Volume 150, Issue 2 Page: 144 Keywords Apolipoproteins Cells Conflicts of interest Drugs Genetic predisposition Growth hormone Head injury Pituitary gland Sports Steroids ePublished: 20 January 2009 Issue Published: 20 January 2009 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2009 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...