Anabolic Steroids

What are anabolic steroids?

Anabolic steroids are synthetic (man-made) versions of testosterone. Testosterone is the main sex hormone in men. It is needed to develop and maintain male sex characteristics, such as facial hair, deep voice, and muscle growth. Women do have some testosterone in their bodies, but in much smaller amounts.

What are anabolic steroids used for?

Health care providers use anabolic steroids to treat some hormone problems in men, delayed puberty, and muscle loss from some diseases. But some people misuse anabolic steroids.

Why do people misuse anabolic steroids?

Some bodybuilders and athletes use anabolic steroids to build muscles and improve athletic performance. They may take the steroids orally, inject them into muscles, or apply them to the skin as a gel or cream. These doses may be 10 to 100 times higher than doses used to treat medical conditions. Using them this way, without a prescription from a health care provider, is not legal or safe.

What are the health effects of misusing anabolic steroids?

Misuse of anabolic steroids, especially over a long period of time, has been linked to many health problems, including:

• Acne
• Stunted growth in teens
• High blood pressure
• Changes in cholesterol
• Heart problems, including heart attack
• Liver disease, including cancer
• Kidney damage
• Aggressive behavior

In men, it can also cause:

• Baldness
• Breast growth
• Low sperm count/infertility
• Shrinking of the testicles

In women, it can also cause:

• Changes in your menstrual cycle (period)
• Growth of body and facial hair
• Male-pattern baldness
• Voice deepening

Are anabolic steroids addictive?

Even though they don't cause a high, anabolic steroids can be addictive. You can have withdrawal symptoms if you stop using them, including:

• Fatigue
• Restlessness
• Loss of appetite
• Sleep problems
• Decreased sex drive
• Steroid cravings
• Depression, which can sometimes be serious and even lead to suicide attempts

Behavioral therapy and medicines can be helpful in treating anabolic steroid addiction.

NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Atherosclerosis

What is atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis is a condition in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Plaque is a sticky substance made up of cholesterol, fat, blood cells, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and causes your arteries to narrow. That limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your body.

Some people may confuse atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis, but they are not the same thing:

• Arteriosclerosis is hardening of the arteries, which means that the arteries thicken and become less flexible. It can have several different causes.
• Atherosclerosis, which develops from plaque buildup, is a common type of arteriosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis can affect most of the arteries in the body. It has different names, based on which arteries are affected:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) is plaque buildup in the arteries of your heart.
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is plaque buildup in the arteries that carry blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. It most often affects the arteries of your legs, but it can also affect the arteries of your arms or pelvis.
• Carotid artery disease is plaque buildup in the neck arteries. It reduces blood flow to the brain.
• Renal artery stenosis is plaque buildup in the arteries that supply blood to your kidneys.
• Vertebral artery disease is plaque buildup in the arteries that supply blood to the back of your brain.
• Mesenteric artery ischemia is plaque buildup in the arteries that supply your intestines with blood.

What causes atherosclerosis?

Plaque often starts to build up during childhood and gets worse with age. The exact cause is unknown, but researchers believe that this buildup happens when there is damage to the arteries. This damage may be caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits, medical conditions, and your genes.

Who is more likely to develop atherosclerosis?

You may be more likely to develop atherosclerosis if you:

• Have certain medical conditions, including:
  • High blood pressure
  • High blood cholesterol
  • Diabetes
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis
• Have a family history of high blood cholesterol
• Eat a lot of foods high in saturated fats
• Smoke or chew tobacco
• Are older - the risk increases after age 45 men and age 55 in women

What are the symptoms of atherosclerosis?

In the early stages, atherosclerosis often does not cause any symptoms. You may first notice some symptoms at times when your body needs more oxygen. For example, this could be when you are having physical or emotional stress.

Your symptoms will depend on which arteries are affected and how much blood flow is blocked:

• With coronary artery disease, the symptoms may include angina (a type of chest pain), palpitations (racing or pounding heart), and shortness of breath.
• With carotid artery disease, you may have a bruit. This is a whooshing sound that your health care provider hears when using a stethoscope. You could also have a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a mini-stroke.
• With peripheral artery disease, you may have pain, aching, heaviness, or cramping in the legs when walking or climbing stairs.
• With vertebral artery disease, you may have problems with thinking and memory, weakness or numbness on one side of the body or face, and vision trouble. You could also have a transient ischemic attack.
• With mesenteric artery ischemia, the symptoms can include severe pain after meals, weight loss, and diarrhea.

For men, erectile dysfunction (ED) is an early warning sign that you may be at higher risk for atherosclerosis and its complications. If you have ED, talk with your provider about your risk of plaque buildup.

What other problems can atherosclerosis cause?

Atherosclerosis can cause other health problems, or complications. For example, if a plaque bursts, a blood clot may form. The clot could block the artery completely or travel to another part of the body. Other possible complications can vary, depending on which arteries are affected. For example, blockages in different parts of the body can lead to complications such as a heart attack, stroke, vascular dementia, or limb loss.

How is atherosclerosis diagnosed?

To find out if you have atherosclerosis, your provider:

• Will ask about your medical and family health history
• Will ask about your lifestyle and risk factors for plaque buildup in the arteries
• Will do a physical exam, which will include listening to your heart and the blood flow in your arteries
• Will likely order tests, such as blood tests and heart health tests

What are the treatments for atherosclerosis?

If you have atherosclerosis, your provider will work with you to create a treatment plan that works for you. Your plan will depend on which arteries are affected, how much the blood flow is blocked, and what other medical conditions you have. Possible treatments may include:

• Heart-healthy lifestyle changes.
• Medicines to:
  • Manage your risk factors.
  • Treat atherosclerosis or its complications.
  • Treat any medical conditions you have that can worsen plaque buildup.
• Procedures or surgeries to treat diseases or complications that were caused by plaque buildup. The specific type of procedure or surgery will depend on which arteries are affected.
• Cardiac rehabilitation, if you have had certain complications from atherosclerosis.

Can atherosclerosis be prevented?

There are steps you can take to try to prevent atherosclerosis:

• Choose heart-healthy foods, such fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Limit foods that are high in saturated fats, salt, and added sugars.
• Do regular physical activity. But before you start an exercise program, ask your provider what level of physical activity is right for you.
• Aim for a healthy weight.
• Limit how much alcohol you drink. Drinking less is better for health than drinking more. Men should limit their intake to 2 drinks or less in a day. Women should drink 1 drink or less per day.
• Manage stress.
• If you smoke, quit smoking.
• Avoid secondhand smoke.
• Get enough good-quality sleep.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Benefits of Exercise

We have all heard it many times before -- regular exercise is good for you, and it can help you manage your weight. But if you are like many Americans, you are busy, you sit most of the day at your job, and you haven't yet changed your exercise habits. The good news is that it's never too late to start. You can start slowly, and find ways to fit more physical activity into your life. To get the most benefit, you should try to get the recommended amount of physical activity for your age. If you can do that, the payoff is that you will feel better, may help prevent or control many diseases, and will likely even live longer.

What are the health benefits of exercise?

Regular exercise and physical activity may:

• Help you get to and stay at a healthy weight. Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in maintaining a healthy weight and preventing obesity. If you are at a healthy weight, you can maintain it if the calories you eat and drink are equal to the amount of energy you burn. To lose weight, you need to use more calories than you eat and drink.
• Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as coronary artery disease and heart attack. Regular exercise can also lower high blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
• Help your body manage blood glucose (blood sugar) and insulin levels. Exercise can lower your blood glucose levels and help your insulin work better. This can reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. And if you already have one of these diseases, exercise can help you to manage it.
• Help you manage a chronic health condition. For example, regular physical activity may help reduce pain and improve function in adults with arthritis. It can also help support daily living activities for people with disabilities. This may help them to be more independent.
• Help you quit smoking. Exercise may make it easier to quit smoking by reducing your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can also help limit the weight you might gain when you stop smoking.
• Improve your mental health and mood. During exercise, your body releases chemicals that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can help you deal with stress, manage anxiety, and reduce your risk of depression.
• Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve the structure and function of your brain.
• Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens build strong bones. Later in life, it can also slow the loss of bone density that comes with age. Doing muscle-strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength.
• Reduce your risk of some cancers, including colon, breast, uterine, bladder, esophageal, kidney, stomach, and lung cancer. There are different ways that physical activity may lower the risk of these cancers. For example, it can strengthen your immune system and reduce inflammation in your body. It also helps prevent obesity, which is a risk factor for many cancers.
• Reduce your risk of falls. For older adults, doing balance and muscle-strengthening activities can help reduce your risk of falling.
• Improve your sleep. Exercise can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
• Improve your sexual health. Regular exercise may lower the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. For those who already have ED, exercise may help improve their sexual function. In women, exercise may increase sexual arousal.
• Increase your chances of living longer. Studies show that physical activity can reduce your risk of dying early from the leading causes of death, like heart disease and certain cancers.

How can I make exercise a part of my regular routine?

Here are some tips to help you make exercise part of your regular routine:

• Make everyday activities more active. Even small changes can help. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk down the hall to a coworker's office instead of sending an email. Wash the car yourself. Park further away from your destination.
• Be active with friends and family. Having a workout partner may make you more likely to enjoy exercise. You can also plan social activities that involve exercise. You might also consider joining an exercise group or class, such as a dance class, hiking club, or volleyball team.
• Keep track of your progress. Keeping a log of your activity or using a fitness tracker may help you set goals and stay motivated.
• Make exercise more fun. Try listening to music or watching TV while you exercise. Also, mix things up a little bit - if you stick with just one type of exercise, you might get bored. Try doing a combination of activities.
• Find activities that you can do even when the weather is bad. You can walk in a mall, climb stairs, or work out in a gym even if the weather stops you from exercising outside.
• Remember that some physical activity is better than none. Do what you can! Even 5 minutes of physical activity has real health benefits.

Birth Weight

What is birth weight?

Birth weight is the first weight of your baby, taken just after being born. A low birth weight means that the baby is less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces. A high birth weight means that the baby is more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

What can cause low birth weight?

A baby with a low birth weight can be born too small, too early (premature), or both. This can happen for many different reasons. They include:

• Health problems in the pregnant parent
• Taking certain medicines during pregnancy
• Substance use during pregnancy
• Infections during pregnancy
• Being pregnant with multiple babies
• Problems with the placenta, the organ that brings oxygen and nutrients to the baby
• Having small parents
• Genetic conditions in the baby
• Birth defects

What problems can low birth weight cause?

Babies with low birth weight may be more at risk of certain health problems. They include immediate problems, such as:

• Breathing problems
• Infections
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Jaundice
• Trouble keeping warm

There is also a higher risk of longer-term problems, including:

• Delayed motor and social development
• Learning disabilities
• Certain health conditions as an adult, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity

What can cause high birth weight?

Causes of high birth weight can include:

• Having big parents
• Diabetes in the pregnant parent
• Certain genetic conditions
• Too much weight gain during pregnancy

What problems can high birth weight cause?

High birth weight can be a concern because it can make delivery of the baby difficult and raise the risk of birth injuries. The baby is at higher risk of problems with:

• Blood sugar
• Breathing problems
• Jaundice

Can birth weight problems be prevented?

You may be able to prevent some birth weight problems by:

• Getting regular checkups during pregnancy
• Getting the right amount of nutrition and calories during pregnancy
• Controlling your blood sugar if you have diabetes
• Avoiding substance use during pregnancy

Caffeine

What is caffeine?

Caffeine is a bitter substance that occurs naturally in more than 60 plants including:

• Coffee beans
• Tea leaves
• Kola nuts, which are used to flavor soft drink colas
• Cacao pods, which are used to make chocolate products

There is also synthetic (man-made) caffeine, which is added to some medicines, foods, and drinks. For example, some pain relievers, cold medicines, and over-the-counter medicines for alertness contain synthetic caffeine. So do energy drinks and "energy-boosting" gums and snacks.

Most people consume caffeine from drinks. The amount of caffeine in different drinks can vary a lot, but it is generally:

• An 8-ounce cup of coffee: 95-200 mg
• A 12-ounce can of cola: 35-45 mg
• An 8-ounce energy drink: 70-100 mg
• An 8-ounce cup of tea: 14-60 mg

What are caffeine's effects on the body?

Caffeine has many effects on your body's metabolism. It:

• Stimulates your central nervous system, which can make you feel more awake and give you a boost of energy
• Is a diuretic, meaning that it helps your body get rid of extra salt and water by urinating more
• Increases the release of acid in your stomach, sometimes leading to an upset stomach or heartburn
• May interfere with the absorption of calcium in the body
• Increases your blood pressure

Within one hour of eating or drinking caffeine, it reaches its peak level in your blood. You may continue to feel the effects of caffeine for four to six hours.

What are the side effects from too much caffeine?

For most people, it is not harmful to consume up to 400mg of caffeine a day. If you do eat or drink too much caffeine, it can cause health problems, such as:

• Restlessness and shakiness
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Fast heart rate
• Dehydration
• Anxiety
• Dependency, so you need to take more of it to get the same results

Some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others.

What are energy drinks, and why can they be a problem?

Energy drinks are beverages that have added caffeine. The amount of caffeine in energy drinks can vary widely, and sometimes the labels on the drinks do not give you the actual amount of caffeine in them. Energy drinks may also contain sugars, vitamins, herbs, and supplements.

Companies that make energy drinks claim that the drinks can increase alertness and improve physical and mental performance. This has helped make the drinks popular with American teens and young adults. There's limited data showing that energy drinks might temporarily improve alertness and physical endurance. There is not enough evidence to show that they enhance strength or power. But what we do know is that energy drinks can be dangerous because they have large amounts of caffeine. And since they have lots of sugar, they can contribute to weight gain and worsen diabetes.

Sometimes young people mix their energy drinks with alcohol. It is dangerous to combine alcohol and caffeine. Caffeine can interfere with your ability to recognize how drunk you are, which can lead you to drink more. This also makes you more likely to make bad decisions.

Who should avoid or limit caffeine?

You should check with your health care provider about whether you should limit or avoid caffeine if you:

• Are pregnant, since caffeine passes through the placenta to your baby.
• Are breastfeeding, since a small amount of caffeine that you consume is passed along to your baby.
• Have sleep disorders, including insomnia.
• Have migraines or other chronic headaches.
• Have anxiety.
• Have GERD or ulcers.
• Have arrhythmia (a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat).
• Have high blood pressure.
• Take certain medicines or supplements, including stimulants, certain antibiotics, asthma medicines, and heart medicines. Check with your health care provider about whether there might be interactions between caffeine and any medicines and supplements that you take.
• Are a child or teen. Neither should have as much caffeine as adults. Children can be especially sensitive to the effects of caffeine.

What is caffeine withdrawal?

If you have been consuming caffeine on a regular basis and then suddenly stop, you may have caffeine withdrawal. Symptoms can include:

• Headaches
• Drowsiness
• Irritability
• Nausea
• Trouble concentrating

These symptoms usually go away after a couple of days.