Expression of Concern: Potential Risk for Developing Severe COVID-19 Disease Among Anabolic Steroid Users

February 2021 in “ BMJ case reports ”

Flavio Cadegiani, Erica Lin, Andy Goren, Carlos Gustavo Wambier

anabolic steroid oxandrolone proxalutamide antiandrogen

Studysummary This case study potentially links the use of anabolic steroids to increased severity of COVID-19 in a healthy 28-year-old man, with marked symptom improvement following treatment with proxalutamide. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

A 28-year-old man who had been using the anabolic steroid oxandrolone developed severe COVID-19 symptoms, which rapidly worsened over 4 days. After receiving a single 600 mg dose of the novel antiandrogen proxalutamide, his symptoms and disease severity markers significantly improved within 24 hours. This case suggested a potential link between anabolic steroid use and increased COVID-19 severity.

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Research cited in this study

12 / 12 results

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research Early Antiandrogen Therapy With Dutasteride Reduces Viral Shedding, Inflammatory Responses, and Time-to-Remission in Males With COVID-19: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Interventional Trial

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