ReviewAddiction (Abingdon, England)2009
Anabolic-androgenic steroid dependence: an emerging disorder.
Review in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 97 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
97 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 290 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring the Confluence of Animal Medicine and its Implications for Human Health: A Systematic Literature Review.Current neuropharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Mental Health in Elite Athletes: A Systematic Review of Suicidal Behaviour as Compared to the General Population.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2024Pooled it
- Anabolic-androgenic steroid use and psychopathology in athletes. A systematic review.Current neuropharmacology · 2015Pooled it
- National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: anabolic-androgenic steroids.Journal of athletic trainingGuideline
- What anabolic-androgenic steroids reveal about the limits of current harm reduction models.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Article
- Regression of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid-Associated Cardiomyopathy Eight Years After Cessation of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Abuse: A Case Report and Literature Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Replicating motivational and cognitive-motivational typologies of doping attitudes among recreational fitness athletes: implications for harm reduction and risk communication.Harm reduction journal · 2026Article
- Anabolic androgenic steroids induce distinct monoaminergic and lipidomic alterations in the male rat brain.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Clinical features of androgen abuse withdrawal in men during the first year of cessation: a community dwelling study.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Article
- A scoping review on weight loss injections and eating disorders: therapeutic impact, risks of misuse, and emerging harms.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Review
- Metandienone abuse induces hepatotoxicity via dysregulated inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Article
- Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: Emerging Use Disorder, Mechanisms of Action, and Clinical Considerations for Pharmacotherapy.Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) · 2026Article
- Impact of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Abuse on the Cardiovascular System: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Bigger than sport: the enhanced games and the commodification of telehealth, testosterone, and dependency.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Muscle Dysmorphia, Obsessive-Compulsive Traits, and Anabolic Steroid Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Harm reduction measures in a recreational gym user with anabolic androgenic steroid dependence: a case report in the context of current best clinical practice.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Best Practice Guidance for Male Individuals Using Anabolic Androgenic Steroids in Recreational Sports Within Primary Care: Protocol for a Modified Delphi Consensus Study.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- Evaluation of implementing drug checking services for anabolic androgenic steroids in Switzerland: a pilot study.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Safety Profile of Gestrinone: A Systematic Review.Pharmaceutics · 2025Review
- Harm reduction techniques among cisgender gay, bisexual, and queer men using anabolic androgenic steroids: a qualitative study.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
37 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
aimsAnabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are widely used illicitly to gain muscle and lose body fat. Here we review the accumulating human and animal evidence showing that AAS may cause a distinct dependence syndrome, often associated with adverse psychiatric and medical effects.
methodWe present an illustrative case of AAS dependence, followed by a summary of the human and animal literature on this topic, based on publications known to us or obtained by searching the PubMed database.
resultsAbout 30% of AAS users appear to develop a dependence syndrome, characterized by chronic AAS use despite adverse effects on physical, psychosocial or occupational functioning. AAS dependence shares many features with classical drug dependence. For example, hamsters will self-administer AAS, even to the point of death, and both humans and animals exhibit a well-documented AAS withdrawal syndrome, mediated by neuroendocrine and cortical neurotransmitter systems. AAS dependence may particularly involve opioidergic mechanisms. However, AAS differ from classical drugs in that they produce little immediate reward of acute intoxication, but instead a delayed effect of muscle gains. Thus standard diagnostic criteria for substance dependence, usually crafted for acutely intoxicating drugs, must be adapted slightly for cumulatively acting drugs such as AAS.
conclusionsAAS dependence is a valid diagnostic entity, and probably a growing public health problem. AAS dependence may share brain mechanisms with other forms of substance dependence, especially opioid dependence. Future studies are needed to characterize AAS dependence more clearly, identify risk factors for this syndrome and develop treatment strategies.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.