Blood tests for steroid users: your printable UK checklist

Choose your situation and get the blood tests and checks that UK primary-care guidance lists for people who use anabolic steroids, with what each one looks for and the levels at which a doctor acts. Print it or save it for your GP or clinic.

Your situation

Also

Your checklist: 7 checks

Blood pressureAnabolic steroids can raise blood pressure, which strains the heart and kidneys.UK guidance: The guideline suggests measuring blood pressure alongside kidney tests. A pharmacy or GP surgery can check it free.Full blood count (haematocrit)Steroids raise red blood cell production. Thicker blood raises the risk of clots, heart attack and stroke.UK guidance: Haematocrit above 0.52 in men: reduce or stop all anabolic steroids and repeat. Above 0.60: stop, and urgent referral to haematology.Cholesterol (lipids)Low HDL and high LDL cholesterol raise the risk of heart disease. Oral steroids can lower HDL sharply.UK guidance: Repeat when off steroids if abnormal. Referral if, on repeat, cholesterol is above 9 mmol/L (or above 7.5 under age 30), non-HDL above 7.5, or triglycerides above 10 mmol/L. Every 10% fall in HDL raises coronary risk by about 13%.Liver function (ALT)Oral steroids are often chemically altered to survive the liver, which can damage it. Heavy lifting also raises ALT.UK guidance: If ALT is below 3 times the upper limit, repeat 10 to 14 days after a break from heavy weightlifting before anything else.Kidney function (urea and electrolytes)Can pick up kidney damage from high blood pressure.UK guidance: Creatinine is often raised by muscle mass, so eGFR can underestimate kidney function in bodybuilders (NICE NG203). A rise is repeated to check it isn't climbing.OestradiolTestosterone converts to oestradiol, which can cause breast tissue growth (gynaecomastia) and changes in libido.UK guidance: Above 150 pmol/L is expected while using, and isn't a reason for referral on its own. The guideline advises against aromatase inhibitors.Mood, alcohol and other drugsNot a blood test. Steroid use and stopping can affect mood, and US endocrine guidance recommends asking every user about anxiety, depression and alcohol or drug use.UK guidance: Mention it to your GP or needle and syringe programme. They hear it every day.

Thresholds are quoted from the guidelines for doctors; your GP interprets your own results. Chest pain, sudden breathlessness, or weakness on one side: call 999.

Based on: Gibbons et al., Essential blood testing in the patient using androgenic anabolic steroids, Br J Gen Pract 2024: a UK clinical guideline for primary care.
Core tests: Full blood count, cholesterol, liver function, kidney function, oestradiol, plus blood pressure.
Only sometimes: Testosterone with LH and FSH (after stopping), HbA1c (growth hormone), PSA (prescribed testosterone).
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Why these tests

A group of UK GPs, hospital specialists and drug treatment services wrote the 2024 guideline because GPs were seeing more people using steroids, often without knowing, and abnormal results were leading to unnecessary referrals.^[1] In West Yorkshire, around 1 in 5 men seen in primary care for low testosterone had it because they had stopped anabolic steroids.^[1]

The risks the tests look for are well documented: more red blood cells, lower HDL cholesterol, liver strain from oral steroids, raised blood pressure and shutdown of natural testosterone, which usually recovers within a year for men who used for under a year.^[2]

No blood test, and no genetic test, can tell you that steroids are safe for you. Read the full guide to blood tests for steroid users for where to get tested in the UK.

Questions

What blood tests should steroid users get in the UK?

UK primary-care guidance (BJGP 2024) lists seven: full blood count (for haematocrit), cholesterol, liver function, kidney function (urea and electrolytes), oestradiol, testosterone with LH and FSH when checking recovery after stopping, and HbA1c if using growth hormone. It also suggests a blood pressure check.

Will my GP do these tests?

GPs can order them, and the 2024 guideline was written to help GPs read results from people who use steroids. Be open about what you use: it changes how results are read, and it stays confidential.

How often should I have blood tests?

The UK guideline doesn't set a routine schedule. It gives repeat times for abnormal results, such as repeating raised liver tests 10 to 14 days after a break from heavy lifting, or low testosterone after stopping in 12 weeks. Many people test before a change, during use and after stopping.

Why does my GP say my kidney results are wrong?

Creatinine rises with muscle mass, so kidney function (eGFR) can look worse than it is in people with a lot of muscle. NICE advises caution reading eGFR in bodybuilders, and the guideline suggests repeating a raised result.

Can I get tested for free outside my GP?

Some needle and syringe programmes and NHS steroid clinics, such as the Edinburgh Steroid Clinic, offer free health checks. Private finger-prick and venous tests cost roughly £60 to £160.

Is anything I select saved?

No. The checklist is built in your browser. Nothing you choose is sent or stored.

Sources

For information only, not medical advice. GeneticEdge does not recommend or endorse anabolic steroid use, and no genetic test can tell you whether steroids are safe for you. Talk to a GP or pharmacist about your health. Last reviewed 30 October 2026.

Blood tests for steroid users: your printable UK checklist

Why these tests

Questions

Sources