The HOD resolution also called for a coordinated nationwide campaign to turn back the rising tide of adolescent hormone abuse.
The new policy, approved at its Annual Meeting, calls for the AMA to collaborate with public and private entities, including medical specialty societies, in an effort to reduce the prevalence of adolescent hormone abuse.
"We must do more to educate the public about the health risks of hormone abuse, especially among adolescents," said AMA Trustee John H. Armstrong, M.D. "The potentially devastating health consequences for young athletes are an enormous price to pay for winning a game. Hormones, when necessary, should only be used under the supervision of a physician."
National surveys conducted since 1991 indicate that the use of anabolic steroids is increasing in high school students, particularly among girls. The AMA cited the many known health risks of anabolic steroid use in its recommendations, including fertility side-effects, the appearance of potentially irreversible masculine traits in females and breast enlargement in males, toxic effects on the liver and cardiovascular system, arrest of growth, and damaging psychiatric side-effects.
The AMA expressed concern that dietary supplements possessing anabolic steroid activity, or ones that have components of these steroids or their active metabolites, are readily available over-the-counter or via the Internet. These include derivatives of potent veterinary products.
The new policies were based on recommendations in a report from the AMA’s Council on Scientific Affairs (CSA). The study was compiled by experts convened by the Hormone Foundation and supported by a grant from the U. S. Anti-Doping Agency. The study authors reviewed hundreds of studies and several national surveys to evaluate available scientific data on adolescent hormone abuse.
Source: AMA News Release.
