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Credit: https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/brain-aging-accelerated-by-anabolic-androgenic-steroids-347039

New study links the use of anabolic androgen steroids to increased brain aging

May 12, 2021

Scientists in Norway took MRI scans of male weightlifters to determine the consequences of using Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) to enhance athletic performance.
A machine-learning algorithm analyzed the results of the MRI scans against a control group and data from the general male population to establish conclusions.
The researchers demonstrated that the use of AAS increased brain aging, reduced cognitive performance, and increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

A new report published in March 2021 has revealed that anabolic androgen steroids (AAS) cause premature brain aging. Anabolic steroids are a synthetic type of the male sex hormone testosterone that was first created in the 1930s. ‘Anabolic’ means muscle building while ‘androgenic’ refers to enhanced male sex characteristics. Doctors could prescribe AAS (orally or as an injection) to treat certain conditions such as delayed puberty in adolescent boys and impotence in men. Anabolic steroids may also be used to treat hormonal imbalance for hypogonadism and conditions that cause muscle loss such as cancer and AIDS. Some bodybuilders and athletes misuse anabolic androgenic steroids to improve muscle strength and boost athletic performance. This is particularly common with male weightlifters in the 20 – 30 years age group. Misuse of AAS can cause unpleasant side effects such as heart problems, acne, and even increased aggression. A new study conducted by researchers from Norway now indicates that AAS also has detrimental effects on the human brain, including premature aging. The report appeared in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging and was published in the Elsevier Journal “Anabolic steroid use has been associated with a range of medical and psychological side effects,” said lead author, Astrid Bjørnebekk, Ph.D., Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital. “However, since anabolic steroids have only been in the public domain for about 35 years, we are still in the early phase of appreciating the full scope of effects after prolonged use. The least studied effects are those that relate to the brain.” Hormones found in anabolic steroids enter the brain very rapidly. Furthermore, AAS is often administered in higher doses than those naturally occurring in the body. This increases the risk that it could negatively impact the brain, especially if used over a long period. Several past studies show that AAS users are outperformed by non-users in cognitive tests. The new research involved 130 male weightlifters who had used AAS over a prolonged duration and a control group of 99 weightlifters who’d never used anabolic steroids. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were taken and machine learning was used to evaluate these tests against data from almost 2,000 healthy males aged between 19 and 92 years. The researchers’ goal was to determine deviation in the participants’ chronological age (age in years since the date of birth) versus the predicted brain age. The group of study participants who had used anabolic-androgenic steroids over a prolonged period was found to have a higher brain age deviation compared to non-users. This advanced brain aging is associated with decreased cognitive performance and a higher risk for neurodegenerative ailments. To ensure the accuracy of their findings, the study team accounted for depression in men and abuse of substances that are known to have adverse effects on the brain. “The results of this brain imaging study should be of concern for athletes using anabolic steroids for performance enhancement and suggest that the adverse effects on behavior and cognition previously shown to be associated with long-term use are the result of effects on the brain in the form of accelerated brain aging,” said Cameron Carter, editor of Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

References: https://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-journals/anabolic-androgenic-steroids-accelerate-brain-aging

New study links the use of anabolic androgen steroids to increased brain aging

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