Steroids

A study in the current issue of the American Heart Association's Journal Circulation: Heart Failure, describes long-term steroid use causes more heart damage than what was originally thought.

A recent report released by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell unveiled widespread use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances among Major League Baseball (MLB) players, detailing cases of steroid use spanning more than 10 years. Drug prevention leaders expressed concern about the findings, noting that drug use by pro-ball players sends the wrong message to young athletes.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the most powerful investigative panel in Congress, held a hearing on Feb. 13 about the use of steroids and human growth hormone by Roger Clemens. The hearing was a result of the independent investigation and report to the Commissioner of Major League Baseball into the illegal use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances by MLB players, released by former Senator Mitchell and his law firm on Dec. 13, 2007. The often heated, 4 ½ hour hearing took sworn testimony from Roger Clemens and his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee.

A new report, released by LegitScript.com, an online pharmacy verification service, and KnujOn.com, an Internet spam and criminality watchdog, identified 156 Web sites engaged in the illicit sale of anabolic steroids, making it easy for youth to obtain steroids without a prescription.

According to the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 3.9 percent of high school students in the nation have used anabolic steroids without a prescription. Experts say the findings highlight the importance of starting a conversation with young people and parents about the dangers of steroid use, especially as the nation prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Findings from the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that 3.9 percent of high school students in the nation have used anabolic steroids without a prescription. Despite that, steroid use among high school athletes often goes undetected because regular drug tests cannot pick up steroid use. To remedy that, a new test is available from Phamatech to help schools and parents identify steroid use and ensure that youth get help for their addiction.