title: The effect of low doses of prednisolone compared with placebo on function and on the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: A double-blind trial of prednisolone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using doses of zero, 3 mg and 5 mg is reported. Patients on a dose of 3 mg derived little sustained benefit but subjects on the higher dose showed some improvement which did not last more than two years. Mild suppression of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis occurred in both steroid-treated groups.
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects*; D010919:Placebos; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D011239:Prednisolone