AAS is the one PED class with substantial human outcome literature, and it is not reassuring. Imaging studies show reduced left ventricular function in long-term users, and endocrine follow-up shows hypogonadism persisting long after cessation.
Key points
- Long-term users show lower left ventricular systolic and diastolic function and higher coronary plaque burden than non-users.
- Persistent hypogonadism months to years after stopping is documented in cohort studies.
- Psychiatric effects, including aggression and mood instability during use and depression during withdrawal, are described in the literature.
What the literature shows
A cross-sectional imaging study of long-term AAS users reported reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and greater coronary atherosclerosis compared with non-using weightlifters, with severity related to lifetime exposure.
Endocrine cohort work found that a substantial proportion of former users had biochemical hypogonadism well after cessation, with symptoms including low libido, fatigue and depressed mood.
A scientific statement reviewing performance-enhancing drug health consequences summarised cardiovascular, hepatic, endocrine and psychiatric harms and highlighted that many effects are dose- and duration-dependent.
What remains unknown
- How much cardiac change reverses after long-term cessation is not well quantified.
- Individual susceptibility to persistent hypogonadism is unpredictable.
- The impact of specific compound combinations, as commonly used, is essentially unstudied.
Safety and monitoring implications
- Cardiac risk is cumulative with lifetime exposure; longer and higher-dose use is the clearest predictor of harm.
- Blood pressure, lipids, haematocrit, liver function and hormonal panels are the core monitoring set.
- Medical supervision matters most for this class, both during use and for post-cessation recovery.
Cited literature
- 1.Baggish AL, Weiner RB, Kanayama G, et al. (2017). Cardiovascular toxicity of illicit anabolic-androgenic steroid use. Circulation. Find on PubMed
- 2.Rasmussen JJ, Selmer C, Østergren PB, et al. (2016). Former abusers of anabolic androgenic steroids exhibit decreased testosterone levels and hypogonadal symptoms years after cessation. PLOS ONE. Find on PubMed
- 3.Pope HG, Wood RI, Rogol A, et al. (2014). Adverse health consequences of performance-enhancing drugs: an Endocrine Society scientific statement. Endocrine Reviews. Find on PubMed
Community reports
Anecdotal — not scientific evidence
Lived experience is valuable context and often surfaces problems before the literature does. It is also uncontrolled, unverified and subject to bias, so it never overrides published findings here.
Aggregated community threads
MixedExperienced users increasingly discuss regular bloodwork and cardiac screening; the same threads also normalise doses far above anything studied clinically.
Buying AAS (general) in Australia: what to check first
APEDRA does not sell AAS (general) or any other product, and takes no commission from suppliers. If you are researching where to buy it, the biggest practical risk is not the compound itself but what is actually in the bottle: under-dosing, substitution with a different compound, and contamination are all documented in independent testing of online research chemicals.
- Ask for a batch-specific third-party lab report (HPLC/mass spectrometry), not a generic certificate.
- Check independent review platforms, not only reviews hosted on the seller's own site.
- Read the shipping, returns and refund policies before ordering.
- Be wary of prices far below the market or exaggerated results claims.
Compare Australian vendors independently · how we assess suppliers
Terms used here are defined in our glossary, and the evidence-grading scale explains what this analysis's grade means. If you believe something here is wrong, tell us.
This analysis is educational. It is not medical advice, a dosing recommendation, or an endorsement of use. Speak with a qualified medical practitioner about your circumstances.