In brief: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were measured in five elite weight-trained athletes who were intermittently taking anabolic-androgenic steroids and in 28 age- and sex-matched control subjects who had never taken anabolic-androgenic steroids Athletes had significantly lower levels of HDL C while taking steroids than while abstaining (p<.01). Athletes also had significantly lower HDL-C levels while using steroids than the control subjects (p.05).