Androgens and anabolic steroids include the male sex hormone testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, and other agents that behave like these sex hormones. They stimulate the development of male sexual characteristics (such as deepening of voice and growth of beard) and development of male sex organs.
Anabolic steroids stimulate growth in many types of tissues, especially bone and muscle. Anabolic effects also include increased production of red blood cells.
Androgens and anabolic steroids are used as replacement therapy to treat delayed puberty in adolescent boys, hypogonadism and impotence in men, and to treat breast cancer in women. They are also used to treat anemia, osteoporosis, weight loss and other conditions with hormonal imbalance.
