Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39877838›Full record

ArticleSubstance abuse and rehabilitation2025

Abnormalities in Blood Parameters in Athletes Taking Anabolic Androgenic Steroidal Agents; an Observational Clinical Study.

Ghaida Siraj Mubarak, Ghazi A Bamagous, Safaa M Alsanosi, Yosra Z Alhindi, Hamsah S Alqashqari, Halah Tariq Albar, Ahmed M Siddiqi, Nahla Ayoub, Alaa H Falemban

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Substance abuse and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Health consequences of anabolic steroids: a sexual-medicine perspective.International journal of impotence research · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ghaida Siraj MubarakPharmacy Department, Hera' General Hospital, Ministry of Health, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Ghazi A BamagousDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Safaa M AlsanosiDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-6453-754X
Yosra Z AlhindiDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-5725-3522
Hamsah S AlqashqariDepartment of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Halah Tariq AlbarDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed M SiddiqiDepartment of Internal Medicine, National Guard Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Nahla AyoubDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Alaa H FalembanDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-1335-1788

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Many studies indicate that high and multiple doses of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) for athletic enhancement can result in serious and irreversible adverse effects. A study that includes laboratory blood testing to evaluate the direct effects of AAS agents among users has not been previously undertaken. The purpose of this study was to investigate the adverse effects of the use of AAS by athletes and to determine whether AAS use leads to changes in certain blood parameters. Methods: This is an observational study consisting of two stages. First, the participants completed an online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, and knowledge and attitudes towards AAS. Second, volunteers underwent laboratory blood testing. Analysis was conducted using frequency distributions and percentages of responses across various variables. Results: Thirty-one individuals completed the online questionnaire, 18 of whom continued to stage 2, where blood samples were taken to trace any changes in blood parameters. All the participants were male, with an age range of 24-45 years. The results showed that 94% of the participants used AAS for nontherapeutic purposes. Most participants reported that they take a combination of AAS (96%), as well as in combination with other supplements (74%). The most used combination was testosterone plus growth hormone (45%), and the most used supplements were liver protectors (84%). Seventy-four percent of the participants reported side effects, and 28% had received a medical diagnosis, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia or an infertility. High levels of testosterone, prolactin, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transferase (AST) and lipid profile, and low luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were observed. Conclusion: The unsupervised use of AAS alone or in combination with other hormones and/or supplements may lead to adverse effects. Further studies with larger samples are needed to draw significant conclusions about the safety of using AAS.

Indexed as

abuseanabolic steroidsgymmaleside effecttestosterone

Identifiers

PMID39877838
PMCPMC11771516

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.