40 Possible Health Consequences of Anabolic Steroid Misuse Cardiovascular system 39 One animal study found that exposing male mice for one fifth of their lifespan to steroid doses comparable to those taken by human athletes caused a high frequency of early deaths. One review found 19 deaths in published case reports related to anabolic steroid use between 19 however, many steroid users also used other drugs, making it difficult to show that the anabolic steroid use caused these deaths. Serious and life-threatening adverse effects may be underreported, especially since they may occur many years later. Most data on the long-term effects of anabolic steroids in humans come from case reports rather than formal epidemiological studies. However, others may be permanent or semi-permanent. Most are reversible if the user stops taking the drugs. A variety of side effects can occur when anabolic steroids are misused, ranging from mild effects to ones that are harmful or even life-threatening.
