Severe depression of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in weight lifters and body builders by self-administered exogenous testosterone and anabolic-androgenic steroids.

The effects of nonphysician prescribed, self-obtained, self-administered exogenous anabolic-androgenic steroids and testosterone on plasma total, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC, LDLC), and triglycerides were evaluated in 14 adult white men, 11 body builders and 3 power weight lifters. Lipids and lipoprotein cholesterols were quantified during active physical conditioning, both on (for at least 1 month, mean +/- SD 1.8 months) and off (for at least 4 months, 7.3 +/- 2.7 months) self-administered exogenous androgenic steroids. The subjects took 50 to 100 mg methandrostenolone daily plus weekly injections of testosterone 100 to 200 mg and nandrolone decanoate 100 to 200 mg per week. Mean (SD) HDLC on exogenous androgenic steroids, 29 +/- 8 mg/dL, was severely depressed, and was less than 50% of the consistently elevated mean HDLC when exogenous steroids were not used (61 +/- 14 mg/dL, P less than .01 for paired differences). During anabolic steroid use, HDLC was less than or equal to the age- race- and sex-specific 10th percentile in 11 of the 14 men, whereas while off anabolic steroids, HDLC was greater than or equal to the 90th percentile in 7 of the 13 men, and in the top quartile for 3 of the remaining 6 men. Mean LDLC was higher on androgenic steroids (150 +/- 44) than off (125 +/- 38 mg/dL), P less than .05 for paired differences. The ratio of LDLC/HDLC during exogenous steroid use (6.0 +/- 3.7) was nearly triple the ratio obtained when steroids were not taken (2.2 +/- 1.0), P less than .01 for paired differences.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)