Rising numbers hospitalised for taking anabolic steroids

Rising numbers of people are being hospitalised in Ireland for taking anabolic steroids.

The country’s medicine watchdog, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), has warned of the dangers of the prescription drugs. New figures from the HSE show the increasing health toll of the drugs. Anabolic steroids are male sexual hormones, and include testosterone, which builds muscle tissue.

In 2005, 185 people were hospitalised for taking anabolic steroids. Last year, this figure had almost doubled to 348 .