Low steroid doses can reduce Joint Damage from Rheumatoid Arthritis
by admin ~ May 26th, 2009.
As per a review led by John Kirwan of Liverpool Women’s Hospital in England, low dosages of steroids can help in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis at the initial stages by restraining joint damage to a considerable extent.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic ailment under which body’s immune system attacks and destroys healthy joint tissues leading to an impact on body organs such as hands & feet. The ailment is known to cause pain, swelling, and deformity in a patient.
From Bio-Medical.org:
The steroids studied in the review are known as glucocorticoids and include the well-known anti-inflammatory prednisone. This medication is often prescribed in the first few months after diagnosis to relieve the discomfort of RA until slower-acting drugs begin protecting the joints.
Until now, concerns about side effects caused most rheumatologists to “put people on the lowest possible dose of steroids and get them off it as soon as possible,” said Scott Zashin, M.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “Now, we have to give steroids a little more respect.”
The review appears in the most recent issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.
Scott Zashin, M.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, was of the view that usage of steroids can be made for a longer duration of time than what was being followed till now.
There was evidence that glucocorticoids along with standard therapy can help in significantly reducing the rate of erosion progression in rheumatoid arthritis even in the most conservative estimates. The review also concluded that an aggressive, early treatment can go a long way in preventing disability and joint damage in a majority of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
Category: Anabolic Steroids | Tags: acute joint damage, chronic ailment, glucocorticoids, rheumatoid arthritis