If EPO levels are too high the body will produce too many red blood cells which can thicken the blood, leading to clotting, heart attack and stroke. Repeated doses of EPO can also stimulate the development of antibodies directed against EPO, which can result in anaemia. The long-term health risks of sustained EPO use are still unclear.
This was the first time blood was used for drug testing. Since the marketing of the first epoetin in , the development has progressed to the third-generation analogs. However, the production of rHuEPO is costly, and the frequent administration of an injectable formula is not optimal for compliance of therapeutic patients. Hence, pharmaceutical industries are currently developing alternative approaches to stimulate erythropoiesis, which might offer new candidates for doping purposes.
EPO is released from the kidneys and acts on the bone marrow to stimulate red blood cell production. While proper use of EPO has an enormous therapeutic benefit in the treatment of anaemia related to kidney disease, its misuse can lead to serious health risks for athletes who use this substance simply to gain a competitive edge. It is well known that EPO, by thickening the blood, leads to an increased risk of several deadly diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and cerebral or pulmonary embolism.
The misuse of recombinant human EPO may also lead to autoimmune diseases with serious health consequences. A blood screening was performed first, and a urine test was then used to confirm possible use of EPO.
This report also recommended that urine testing be used in conjunction with blood screening for a variety of reasons, including the cost savings of performing blood screening prior to testing urine. In order to further improve detection of abnormal blood profiles, WADA is leading the development of a strategy against doping in sport called the Athlete Passport , which is based on following athlete's biological variables over time.
Like the other forms of blood doping, transfusions have serious medical consequences. An athlete uses his or her own blood, can put themselves at significant health risks if the procedure is not done properly or if the blood is not handled or stored in a proper manner.
In addition, unnaturally high red blood cell levels increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary or cerebral embolism. Skip to main content. What is blood doping? What are the most widely known types of blood doping? What is EPO?
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