Injury and Poisoning Profile in Anabolic Steroid Users - 05/03/25
, Morten Tulstrup, MD, PhD a, Ida M. Heerfordt, MD, PhD a, Kim P. Dalhoff, MD, DMSc a, b, Jon T. Andersen, MD, PhD a, b, Henrik Horwitz, MD, PhD a, bAbstract |
Study objective |
This study investigated the 1-year risk of injuries and poisonings among anabolic androgenic steroid users compared with controls from the general population.
Methods |
In a cohort study conducted in Denmark, 1,189 anabolic androgenic steroid users were identified through a national antidoping program and matched with 59,450 controls. Participants were followed for 1 year. Data on hospital contacts, educational length, and occupational status were retrieved from nationwide registries. The primary outcomes were the incidence of injuries and poisonings. The secondary outcomes differentiated between fracture and nonfracture injuries, and medicinal versus nonmedicinal causes of poisonings, and described specific causes of injury-related hospital contacts.
Results |
Anabolic androgenic steroid users had significantly higher incidences of injuries and poisonings compared with controls. The risk difference for any injury was 7.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.5 to 10.2) and the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) was 1.46 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.66). Specifically, the risk of fractures was more than doubled among anabolic androgenic steroid users (aHR of 2.23, 95% CI 1.72 to 2.89), with head injuries being particularly prevalent. The risk difference for any poisoning was 1.2% (95% CI 0.5 to 1.9) and the aHR was 2.98 (95% CI 1.82 to 4.90). Medicinal poisoning was the most common poisoning among anabolic androgenic steroid users, with an aHR of 3.53 (95% CI 1.94 to 6.41).
Conclusion |
Anabolic androgenic steroid use is associated with an increased risk of both injuries and poisonings, thereby quantifying a substantial risk of external harm among users.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Steroid abuse, Injuries, Anabolic steroids, Poisoning
Plan
| Supervising editor: Richard C. Dart, MD, PhD. Specific detailed information about possible conflict of interest for individual editors is available at editors. |
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| Author contributions: All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. HH was responsible for data collection and analysis. All authors participated in the interpretation of the data, drafting the manuscript, and revising it critically. All authors gave final approval of the version to be published and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. HH takes responsibility for the manuscript as a whole. |
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| Data sharing statement: Data cannot be shared by the authors and are only accessible to authorized researchers after application to the Danish Health Data Authority. |
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| All authors attest to meeting the four ICMJE.org authorship criteria: (1) Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND (2) Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND (3) Final approval of the version to be published; AND (4) Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. |
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| Funding and support: By Annals’ policy, all authors are required to disclose any and all commercial, financial, and other relationships in any way related to the subject of this article as per ICMJE conflict of interest guidelines (see www.icmje.org). JW-M and HH received a research grant from Anti-Doping Denmark. The grant donor had no additional role in the study. KPD was a member of the Board of Anti Doping Denmark from 2015 to 2020. The other authors report no conflict of interest. |
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| Please see page XX for the Editor’s Capsule Summary of this article. |
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