Annals of Internal Medicine, September 2023
Study Design: Pooled Analysis of 5 Randomized Controlled Trials with Two Years of Individual Patient Data
What’s Interesting about this article?
- Weight Gain and Hypertension are well known adverse events of treatment with high dose glucocorticoids.
- This study provides solid evidence that low dose steroids over two years resulted in small increase in weight (one kg.) and no increase in blood pressure.
JournalDoc Comments:
- As mentioned in an accompanying AIM editorial, the “pendulum swings back” on the risks of low dose steroids in treating rheumatoid arthritis on a chronic basis.
- Previous observational studies appear to have overstated the impact on weight and blood pressure.
- Steroids are effective and low-cost drugs, and these findings may decrease patient and physician concerns over adverse effects in R.A. and potentially other chronic diseases.
Disclaimer: Article of the Week selections by JournalDoc physicians are independent, unbiased and have no commercial conflict of interest. JournalDoc does not support or endorse the findings or opinions expressed in the article. Findings in the article may need to be supported by further research and/or the consensus of experts.
