title: [Systemic corticosteroids in rheumatoid arthritis: to use or not to use?].
abstract: Systemic corticosteroids(steroids) were initially introduced after the dramatic efficacy in individual patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Since the outcome of steroid therapy in RA turned to be awesome, steroids had been put at the apex of the therapeutic pyramid for a long time. However, most rheumatologists have subscribed steroids for the treatment of early active RA because they can provide rapid and significant clinical response. Moreover, recent several studies have shown that low dose(5 to 10 mg/day) of prednisolone retard joint destruction in a few years. However, the demonstrated negatives(opportunistic infections, osteoporosis, metabolic disorders, atherosclerotic vascular events etc.) of steroids may outweigh these advantages in the longterm clinical course of RA.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical School.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amano
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents