Glomerular Filtration Rate and Supraphysiologic-Dose Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use: A Cross-sectional Cohort Study

Millions of individuals worldwide have used supraphysiologic doses of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) for athletics or personal appearance, but the effects of AAS on the kidney remained little studied.1 In a recent cross-sectional cohort study evaluating cardiovascular function in 57 current AAS users, 28 past users, and 52 non-AAS-using weightlifters2, 3, we obtained participants’ standard chemistries, hematology, cystatin C, and endocrine measures (details in Item S1). With these data, we calculated participants’ estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), based on serum creatinine and cystatin C levels (eGFRcr-cys), using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula.4 We conducted sensitivity analyses using CKD-EPI equations involving creatinine alone (eGFRcr) and cystatin C alone (eGFRcys).