Odilon Salim Costa Abrahin

Prevalência do uso e conhecimento de esteroides anabolizantes androgênicos por estudantes e professores de educação física que atuam em academias de ginástica

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are chemically similar to testosterone, used for the treatment/control of various diseases. However, these substances are being used in non-therapeutic and indiscriminate purposes to improve sports performance and mainly esthetics. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of AAS use and information of undergraduates and physical education teachers working in fitness centers in Belem-PA. A closed anonymous questionnaire was applied to 117 volunteers as an instrument. Comparison of the prevalence of use and degree of information of the respondents about AAS was performed using statistical non-parametric test X2 (chi-square), considering the range of 95%, significant when p<0.05. The average age of the participants was 28.0 ± 6.3 years and the prevalence of AAS use was of 31.6%. The highest prevalence found was among specialist professionals (39.3%), the main motivation for the use of AAS was 75.6% to esthetics. Regarding the information, it was found that the drugs were classified as AAS: Durateston, Deca-Durabolin, Oxandrolona/Winstrol. However, these professionals took other substances for AAS, including: growth hormone and oils. Among the side effects, the most commonly cited were: acne, deepening of the voice and aggressiveness, but more harmful side effects such as cancer and flavor were less marked. The results of this study demonstrate that the use prevalence was significant (p<0.03) among the undergraduate and physical education teachers working in fitness centers of Belem-PA, evidencing hence probable misinformation about some of the side effects of AAS use, implying the indiscriminate use of these drugs.

Resistance training alone reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure in prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals: meta-analysis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of resistance training alone on the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals. Our meta-analysis, followed the guidelines of PRISMA. The search for articles was realized by November 2016 using the following electronic databases: BIREME, PubMed, Cochrane Library, LILACS and SciELO and a search strategy that included the combination of titles of medical affairs and terms of free text to the key concepts: ‘hypertension’ ‘hypertensive’, ‘prehypertensive’, ‘resistance training’, ‘strength training’, and ‘weight-lifting’. These terms were combined with a search strategy to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and identified a total of 1608 articles: 644 articles BIREME, 53 SciELO, 722 PubMed, 122 Cochrane Library and 67 LILACS. Of these, five RCTs met the inclusion criteria and provided data on 201 individuals. The results showed significant reductions for systolic blood pressure (−8.2 mm Hg CI −10.9 to −5.5;I2: 22.5% P valor for heterogeneity=0.271 and effect size=−0.97) and diastolic blood pressure (−4.1 mm Hg CI −6.3 to −1.9; I2: 46.5% P valor for heterogeneity=0.113 and effect size=−0.60) when compared to group control. In conclusion, resistance training alone reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure in prehypertensive and hypertensive subjects. The RCTs studies that investigated the effects of resistance training alone in prehypertensive and hypertensive patients support the recommendation of resistance training as a tool for management of systemic hypertension.

Anabolic–androgenic steroid use among Brazilian women: an exploratory investigation

Abstract The illicit use of anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS) is a public health problem and the prevalence of use is increasing among different populations including women. We aimed to evaluate the use of AAS in a sample of Brazilian women and to develop a user profile in order to support the development of AAS education, prevention, and treatment programs. A self-administered, anonymous, close-ended questionnaire was completed by 361 female recreational resistance training participants (29.0 ± 8.1 years). Descriptive statistics were applied. The prevalence rate of lifetime AAS use was 13.3% and the average age of AAS users (n = 48) was 25.4 ± 4.6 years. The most frequently used AAS are Stanozolol (Winstrol) and Oxandrolone. Other substances used in association with AAS are primarily alcohol and diuretics. Friends, physicians, and physical education teachers were the most common sources for obtaining AAS. Several adverse effects were noted as follows: acne, menstrual irregularities, water retention, deepening of the voice, and clitoral enlargement. In summary, the primary reason for AAS use among the women was aesthetic; the AAS used were purchased primarily through friends and from pharmacies using medical prescriptions.