As we know that the use of anabolic steroids, although they have beneficial properties for us, which can restore our youth, make us stronger and stronger, but still there are a number of side effects that need to be managed, especially if you are over 40 years old. Some young athletes don't think about lowering estradiol levels that are too high (although they should) or live with very high levels of DHT without feeling any discomfort. This can last for some time, but not if you are over 40 years of age. At this age, men start to feel any side effects associated with steroid use or even just fatigue from excessive exercise. So, at this age you need to pay special attention to your blood tests, your body's health and well-being trying not to make any mistakes in cycle building and not to miss controlling any side effects. There are certain things that you can get away with at a young age, but should be carefully monitored by men in adulthood. 

Even if you don't experience any side effects, it doesn't mean that elevated levels of hormones like estradiol and DHT don't have negative effects on your body if, their levels will be high for a long time. This is especially important if you are using testosterone on a consistent basis without pauses. 

Here are a few key points to keep a very close eye on and avoid deviations from the physiological norm. Of course, all of these aspects will be valid for men under 40, but if you are a senor, for example high blood pressure and high cholesterol can be extremely dangerous for you, so if you are 40+ you need to pay special attention to these things and not overlook them. 

BLOOD PRESSURE (HYPERTENSION)

As you know steroids can lead to high blood pressure, especially as an adult. High blood pressure can be caused by excessive fluid retention, both from increased estradiol and excessive sodium accumulation, young athletes sometimes take this as a good indication that the drugs are working, and in part they are, but in adulthood it is best to avoid significant water retention in the body. This is done by making sure your estradiol doesn't rise above reference values, but this doesn't always work. If you keep your estradiol normal but your blood pressure is still elevated (over 140), we recommend using blood pressure lowering medication. 

Blood pressure is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular complications. If your blood pressure is 140 or higher, it is considered high blood pressure. Hypertension is often asymptomatic, but this is noted only at first. Persistently high blood pressure over time leads to a number of clinical symptoms. Often a sharp increase in BP threatens the development of hypertensive crisis and rupture of the vessel wall.

As we mentioned above - some of the side effects of steroids can be tolerated quite easily in youth, but are unacceptable in older age and this also applies to blood pressure. Your blood vessels at 40 are no longer as elastic as they used to be and if your blood pressure is high on a constant basis - sooner or later it will have a damaging effect on them. If, in addition, your hematocrit is above 51-54% (such values are common with steroid use) and your lipid metabolism is impaired (problems with cholesterol levels), this increases the risk of thrombosis and in this case high blood pressure will increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. Persistently high blood pressure has a very significant negative effect on your health. 

You can read more about high blood pressure here:

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We strongly recommend that you monitor your blood pressure and if it rises, use Sartanos (telmisartan), which you should take daily (once a day). The dosage of this medicine should be determined based on your blood pressure level. You can start with 20 mg per day. Telmisartan is one of the most popular and effective remedies in the fight against high blood pressure, approved by the FDA and used by a huge number of doctors around the world. Telmisartan has also conquered the bodybuilding world for some time now in terms of controlling high blood pressure in bodybuilders.

Be careful if you are already taking any medications for high blood pressure. Their combination will lower your blood pressure too low.

HIGH LEVELS OF DHT (DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE) 

This is a hormone that affects multiple tissues and most often its effects are negative (although not always). Elevated levels of DHT contribute to side effects such as baldness, increased skin oiliness, acne, virilisation (in women), increased body hair (except on the head) but also has other negative effects, more serious ones which we will discuss below.

The prostate gland 

A large percentage of men after 40 suffer from diseases related to prostate enlargement. Considering that over-physiological doses of androgens can also contribute to prostate enlargement - this means that, firstly, men over 40 should have PSA blood tests at least every six months, and secondly, they should prophylactically reduce excessive levels of DHT with finasteride. It is for this reason that we recommend including Finastelad in your anabolic steroid cycle. 

A common condition caused by high levels of DHT is benign prostatic hyperplasia. This condition causes symptoms such as difficulty urinating, weak urine stream, more frequent urination, inability to empty the bladder and the need to urinate frequently at night. Prostate growth is attributed to the activity of DHT, which stimulates the growth of epithelial and stromal cells. This growth is further influenced by the combined effect of DHT and estradiol. This further emphasises the importance of controlling the levels of these hormones during the cycle. 

DHT and cardiovascular risks 

An important fact that some studies have shown is that elevated serum levels of dihydrotestosterone are associated with cardiovascular risk. DHT can promote inflammation, which is a key factor in the development of heart disease. Studies show a key role for dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in pressure overload-induced myocardial hypertrophy and dysfunction. Serum DHT levels have been associated with adverse myocardial remodelling and higher levels of proteins associated with hypertrophy and fibrosis of heart tissue. 

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36206048
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4037728

Baldness

It is also known that high levels of DHT are associated with hair loss on the head and conversely increased hair growth on other parts of the body such as the shoulders, back and chest. Of course, this effect is not significant for your physical health, it is more of an aethetical issue, but many men prefer to keep their head hair in place. 

By using finasteride, you block these side effects associated with hair loss, as well as significantly reduce the risks of prostate problems and cardiovascular complications. The usual treatment for prostatic hyperplasia is 5 mg per day, for androgenic alopecia (baldness) the official medical indication is 1 mg per day, but recent studies have shown that a dosage of 0.2 mg is almost as effective as 1 mg. 

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10495374

For this reason, we recommend a dosage of 0.25 mg each day (a quarter of a Finastelad tablet).

CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES 

This is largely because steroid use negatively affects the user's cholesterol levels and profile: total cholesterol levels increase, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels decrease, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels increase. This can lead to the development of atherosclerosis (the formation of plaque on the walls of the arteries), which causes the development of conditions such as stable angina, myocardial infarction, and stroke. To avoid this condition, we strongly recommend that you keep an eye on your LDL and HDL values, and monitor them closely.

Hypercholesterolaemia is one of the main factors that lead to atherosclerosis. Excess cholesterol builds up, deposits on the walls of blood vessels, restricting blood flow to the heart, brain and other parts of your body and increasing the risk of blood clots.It affects the coronary arteries, the vessels feeding the brain - carotid and vertebral arteries, and the arteries of the lower limbs. 

Anabolic steroids and lipids

Anabolic steroids are also credited with the ability to damage the cardiovascular system. This theory is supported by the fact that steroids can increase blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. At the same time, it has been noted that there may be a decrease in HDL (high concentrated lipoprotein) levels and an increase in LDL (low concentrated protein) levels. HDL protects the arteries from excessive deposition of cholesterol on their walls and eliminates its transport to the liver, which undergoes its breakdown. Consequently, high levels of HDL are desirable, and athletes taking steroids with low HDL levels are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications. Raising LDL levels, on the other hand, is undesirable because LDL acts in the exact opposite direction, favouring the deposition of cholesterol on arterial walls. Thus, when taking steroids, a general unfavourable situation occurs: high cholesterol levels, reduced HDL levels and increased LDL levels.

Therefore, every athlete should have regular blood tests and check their total blood cholesterol levels to make sure they do not fall into this risk group. This risk is increased by the common muscle building "diet" (lots of calories, lots of fat, fast food and sweets). Unfavourable factors include stress, high blood pressure, high body weight, poor oxygen supply, and smoking. Yet, here again, the choice of steroid, its dose, duration of administration, and especially genetic predisposition are hugely decisive.

Experience has shown that once the drug is finished, the altered parameters are restored over a period of time. Although the risk group is primarily elderly athletes, such abnormalities are less common in younger athletes. In addition to the fact that AAS do not improve the lipid profile, if an athlete has a high hematocrit, this may worsen the overall health of their blood vessels and increase the risk of thrombosis.

Blood tests for lipids

You should monitor blood tests for total cholesterol, LDL and HDL, and triglycerides in the blood. These values can change over the course of a cycle, especially if it is more than a few months long, and as you increase the duration of your medication and change medications. Your goal is to do everything you can to keep your lipid levels at or as close to normal as possible.

Why is it so important to monitor your cholesterol levels and prevent them from rising. The fact is that if cholesterol levels rise over a long period of time, cholesterol plaques will form and interfere with the natural flow of blood - they will stay with you forever. These plaques cannot be removed or dissolved in any way. Therefore, to avoid long-term risks, you should monitor your lipid levels very carefully, avoiding significant changes.

Medications to improve cholesterol levels

Using anabolic steroids, it happens that even after an athlete improves his lifestyle in terms of improving his lipid profile - he does enough cardio exercise, eliminates saturated fats and refined carbohydrates from his diet, uses supplements that potentially lower LDL levels - and due to genetic predisposition, his LDL levels are still high enough and HDL levels are too low. This is where various drugs to improve cholesterol levels come to the rescue

Statins or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are hypolipidemic drugs. Some of the most common drugs used to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Those people whose high LDL levels are not related to taking steroids - taking statins from the time they are prescribed is necessary for life

HIGH LEVELS OF HEMATOCRIT

One of the most important blood parameters to monitor during an anabolic steroid cycle is the percentage of blood cells (red blood cells) in relation to the liquid component of the blood, or, simply put, the hamatocrit. The more blood cells, the higher the hamatocrit. Hamatocrit is measured as a percentage. During the steroid cycle, an increase in hamatocrit follows due to an increase in the number of red blood cells. The increase in blood density has a number of undesirable and dangerous health consequences.

All steroids increase the number of red blood cells, so the hematocrit increases. Increased blood density has a number of undesirable effects. Not all drugs increase the level of hematocrit in the same way. The leaders in this matter are - Boldelad, Anadrolus, trenbolones and testosterones. The lowest hematocrit is usually increased by DHT derivatives such as Anavaros, Primos and others. If you are constantly having problems with increased hematocrit, even from small doses, you should avoid these drugs and use testosterone in the lowest doses and check your hematocrit levels frequently.

Excessively thick blood puts more strain on the heart, making it harder for the heart to push blood through the blood vessels, forcing the heart muscle to work harder. An elevated hematocrit can cause hypertension (high blood pressure) and increase the risk of blood clots, which, among other things, can lead to stroke or heart attack if other associated risk factors are present.

Symptoms of excessively thick blood include sleep disturbance, decreased mental concentration and impaired mental performance, shortness of breath, joint pain, and increased sweating. During your cycle, your hematocrit level will often be a little higher than normal, but you should not wait until it exceeds acceptable limits.

You should constantly monitor the hematocrit level and not let it rise above 52-54%, but for some people it is undesirable to increase the hematocrit even up to 50%, based on their well-being. It is especially important to control this parameter if you are using steroids after the age of 40. 

Drink more water 

A natural way to thin the blood is to drink plenty of water. Often high hematocrit levels are the result of low water intake in athletes. In this case, this problem can be solved by a proper drinking regime with sufficient water. The average volume of water should be at least 30 ml/kg body weight.

Diuretics or diuretic drinks such as coffee should be avoided. It is strongly recommended to keep alcohol consumption to a minimum. Alcohol is a strong diuretic and can lead to dehydration of the body even with adequate fluid intake.

More cardio exercise

Another important means of reducing hematocrit is cardio exercise. The fact is that an increase in hematocrit is the body's response to a lack of oxygen in the blood. Cardio exercise is an excellent antihypoxant. As your tissues become better oxygenated during cardio exercise, your hematocrit will start to decrease on its own. Do at least 3 cardio workouts per week for 60 minutes and this will definitely have a good effect on your cardiovascular system and help your hematocrit to stay within acceptable values.

 Flobotomy

If your drinking regime is established but your hematocrit is still tending to rise past the 52-54% mark, it makes sense to resort to bloodletting. We recommend pumping out no more than 500ml of blood per procedure. The next step is to take a hematocrit.

Hematocrit analysis and compare the values. If another procedure is required, take a rest day and repeat, limiting the procedure to 500 ml.

Other options

Firstly, you need to limit the amount of iron in your diet, do not take multivitamin complexes that contain this mineral. Stop smoking to prevent hypoxia.

WHICH STEROIDS TO USE 

Based on all of the above, we can conclude which anabolic steroids are more or less suitable for seniors - meaning steroids that are mildest on the body and do not cause significant side effects, especially those steroids that increase blood pressure by retaining fluid. It is also advisable to keep your haematocrit under control by not letting it rise too much. The same applies to cholesterol levels, which can rise significantly with the use of drugs such as trenbolone and stanozolol, which are best avoided. 

What steroids you shouldn't use

Our recommendations would be as follows:

  • Do not use oral 17alpha alkylation steroids. This group includes all popular anabolic steroids except Provironus and Methacetos. Oral steroids are always much worse for your liver and consequently your cholesterol levels.
  • Do not use hard anabolic steroids such as trenbolone. Trenbolone, although extremely effective, is still too dangerous for middle-aged and older men.
  • Do not use steroids that are highly water retentive, such as Anadrolus or testosterone in high doses. During the Bulk phase, limit yourself to 500 mg of testosterone, or better 250-375 mg per week.
  • We do not recommend the use of nandroldones, again because of their significant water retention and progesterone effects. Nandrolones are likely to increase prolactin, and this will require the use of cabergoline, which you do not need.
  • Use drostanolone with caution because of its property of affecting prostate tissue more than other steroids. 

Which steroids you can use

We recommend listening to your body and doing blood tests so that if you try any of the drugs you know what effect they have on your blood markers. You should be careful when choosing drugs and try to monitor how you feel in your body. For example, if you are experiencing insomnia or anxiety, or if you are experiencing joint pain, there is a good chance that it is the drug that is causing it.

  • The most recommended steroids are testosterone in dosages low enough for bodybuilding - 200-375 mg (maximum 500 mg) and such steroids as Primos. 
  • You can add some Boldelad, but make sure that your haematocrit does not increase and that your estradiol is not too low. Low estradiol can cause problems with joints, bones, cholesterol levels, and blood vessels.
  • Your recommended choices are not very large and of course you can add other drugs, but do so carefully, starting with very small dosages. For example, if you are using 200 mg of testosterone enanthate and 200 mg of Primos and if you want to add Drostargos, start with just 100 mg per week.
  • Of the oral steroids we can only recommend Provironus which can increase your libido and give an extra drive in your mood. Other oral steroids are best either avoided altogether or used in dosages of around 20 mg several times a year in cycles of 4-6 weeks, adding them to your main drugs such as testosterone. If you decide to use oral steroids, it is better to use milder drugs such as Anavaros, Methacetos, Turinadyn, Testolone, Andarine, Ostarine.

PCT OR BLAST AND CRUISE

There are usually two main patterns of steroid use. The first is to use a steroid cycle and then do PCT – that is, restore your own testosterone levels that were suppressed during the steroid cycle. This scheme is used most often, but whether it is worth using this approach when you are over 40 years old remains an open question.

The second scheme, called Blast and Cruise, is to use steroids on a regular basis, then increasing the dosage by simulating a cycle, and then reducing the dosage, giving the body a rest from higher doses, but not turning off the steroids completely, thus not losing the result obtained during the cycle.

There are many opinions from different specialists and athletes, some are inclined to the first method, while others use steroids on a regular basis. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Considering this philosophical question in the context of age, we do not want to convince you of anything, but we will only give you a few thoughts for your reasoning.

Arguments for PCT

  • On the one hand, when you take a break from anabolic steroids, your overexcited nervous system and muscles, which are most likely in hypertonia, will finally be able to rest, because anabolic steroids significantly tone muscles and sometimes this effect has a negative character. Sometimes your body needs rest and giving up anabolic steroids is a factor contributing to body relaxation.
  • Some athletes also claim that significant muscle growth is possible only when you do not use anabolic steroids for a while and, according to them, only there can you overcome the plateau that sooner or later comes with an increase in the level of fitness. It is quite difficult to judge how true this argument is.

Arguments for Blast and Cruise

  • On the other hand, if at the age of a senior you constantly force your body to be with superphysiological levels of hormones, on the contrary with zero levels (we are talking about testosterone), then you force all your body systems to rebuild, then into one mode of operation, then into another. Moreover, these fluctuations are quite fleeting. During the 12-week cycle, your body gradually begins to adapt to the new "settings" that are set by high testosterone levels, then soon it needs to be in a state of hypogonadism because your testosterone will be at 0 after the end of the cycle.
  • It should also be borne in mind that the body's regenerative abilities are completely different at 40 and 20 years old, and most likely after a 12-week cycle you will restore your testosterone level much longer than at 20 years old, and accordingly you will be with low testosterone levels for much longer, which again, at the age of over 40-0a years it will be much harder to bear.