The danger of steroids

Most of the controversy at the just concluded Pan American Games centered around anabolic steroids - drugs that supposedly build up muscle, restore energy after a workout and enhance aggressiveness. In fact, steroids probably do very little to give athletes a competitive edge - and actually may do considerable harm.

The drugs, which are sold under such trade names as Anavar, Durabolin and Winstrol, have been available for many years. They are synthetic variations of the male hormone, testosterone. Like the natural hormone, the drugs are intended to help the body store nitrogen, which comes from meats and other protein foods, and manufacture muscle tissue. In medical practice, the steroids have only a few legitimate uses. They may be given to a debilitated patient following surgery to provide an extra boost for healing. The drugs may be useful in certain forms of anemia because they increase the production of red blood cells. And sometimes, they are prescribed to elderly women suffering from osteoporosis, a thinning out of bone that occurs with age.

For a women athlete, taking the anabolic steroids could lead to increased muscle development. At the same time, the drugs would very likely cause acne and the growth of facial hair. But there is no evidence, says Dr. Melvin Horwith, an endocrinologist at New York Hospital - Cornell Medical Center, that the drugs do anything for a normal male weightlifter or short-putter. "Their bodies are already storing nitrogen avidly," he notes. "Look at their muscles. The drugs aren't going to provide any considerable amount of buildup beyond that". In addition, Horwith notes, the effects of steroids in nitrogen storage are only temporary. "After as little as a month", he says, "nitrogen storage peters out".

The risk of taking anabolic steroids far outweighs any benefit. By raising the level of male hormone in the blood, the drugs can cause the pituitary gland to stop stimulating the natural production of testosterone by the testicles. The result could be atrophy of the

testicles as well as a diminished sperm count. Steroids are metabolized by the liver and have been linked to the development of liver tumors, or hepatomas.

Task 7 Answer the questions to the text. Choose the answers below:

1. What do steroids supposedly do and what do they really do?

1. What are synthetic variations of the male hormone intended to?

2. What are the legitimate uses of the steroids in medical practice?

3. Why does the article state that "the risk ... far outweighs any benefit"?

1. to help the body store nitrogen

2. build up muscle, store and restore energy

1. because steroids cause atrophy of the testicles and diminished sperm count, hepatomas, growth of breast tissue in a male

2. to provide an extra boost for healing anemia and osteoporosis

Task 8 Memorize the following terms which will help you to understand better the pathological conditions of the endocrine system:

Goiter - an enlargement because of swelling caused by disease of the thyroid gland, often visible in the lower part of the neck. Hyperthyroidism — the excessive activity of the thyroid gland and the disorder resulting from this or from taking too much thyroid secretion, characterized by loss of weight, nervousness, a rapid pulse. Myxedema - this disease occurs in adulthood and is caused by failure of the thyroid gland, when little thyroxine is produced. It is characterized by a drying and thickening of the skin because of collections of a mucus-like secretion and a slowing down of physical and mental activity.

Cretinism - a congenital deficiency and hyperfunctioning of thyroid secretion with resulting physical deformity and mental development. Treatment consists of administration of thyroid hormone.

Hypoparathyroidism - an insufficient production of parathyroid hormone which causes hypoalcemia. It can lead to a tetany. Calcium is administered for treatment to raise its amount in the blood. Gushing's disease - a disorder of the adrenal cortex caused by a benign or malignant adrenal cortex tumor which is characterized by the excessive secretion of glucocorticoids. It leads to obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and weakness.

Addison's disease - it is caused by failure of the adrenal glands when the amount of adrenal cortex hormones is not sufficient. This disease is characterized by weight loss, weakness, low blood pressure, brownish pigmentation of the skin, hypoglycemia. Diabetes insipidus - a disorder caused by a pituitary deficiency as a result of which the kidneys do not reobsorb, needed water and salts. This disease is characterized by the heavy discharge of urine (polyuria) and intense thirst (polydipsia).

Dwarfism - condition in which growth has stopped before full size is reached. It is caused by hyposecretion of somatotropin by adenohypophysis of the pituitary gland.

Diabetes mellitus - a chronic form of diabetes involving an insulin deficiency because of hypofunctioning of the pancreas. This disease is also characterized by excess of sugar in the urine, hunger, thirst and gradual loss of weight. Deficiency of insulin prevents sugar from leaving the blood. The patients become insulin dependent and they are restricted to a special diet which is low in sugar. Hyperinsulinism - excessive secretion of insulin from the pancreas, resulting in hypoglycemia. The patients may lose consciousness, there may be convulsions and fainting.

Task 9 Give the proper terms for the definitions:

1. Inflammation of the thyroid gland.

2. Excessive thirst.

3. Emaciation, thinness, wasting away, a generally weakened condition of the body associated with a chronic illness.

4. A hormone secreted by the medulla of the adrenal gland that stimulates the heart, increases muscular strength and

endurance, it is extracted from animal adrenals or prepared

synthetically for therapeutic use.

The tendency to maintain or the maintenance of normal

internal stability in an organism with respect to functions,

fluids and times by coordinated responses of an organ

systems that automatically compensate for environmental

changes.

An abnormal condition characterized by tetanic spasms of voluntary muscles, especially in the extremities. The presence of sugar in the urine, especially when a patient suffers from diabetes mellitus.

Task 10 Build the clinical terms. Choose term elements from the list below. Give the definition of these terms:

1. hyper... ism

2. ex...

3. myx...

4. .. .thropy

5. ...pause

6. poly... 7thyr...

8. ...crinology

9. hypo.. .thyroidism

10. osteo...

11. each...

12. etio...

13. hypo...emia

14. ...corticoids

15. ...ism

1. ...porosis

2. ...exia

3. ...thyroid...

4. ...dipsia

5. ...para...

6. ...calc...

7. dwarf...

h) gluco... I) ...oxine j) meno... k) a...

I) ...ophtalmos m) ...edema n) ...logy o) endo...