Acute effect of oral steroids on muscle function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Prospective data to support the hypothesis that corticosteroids are a significant cause of muscle weakness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are lacking. The authors studied respiratory and quadriceps muscle function, using both volitional techniques and magnetic nerve stimulation, as well as measuring metabolic parameters during incremental cycle ergometry, in 25 stable COPD patients. The forced expiratory volume in one second was 37.6 +/- 21.4% predicted, before and after a 2-week course of o.d. prednisolone 30 mg. Quadriceps strength was also assessed in 15 control patients on two occasions. Only two patients met the British Thoracic Society definition of steroid responsiveness. There was no change either in sniff transdiaphragmatic pressure (pre: 96.8 +/- 19.7 cmH2O; post: 98.6 +/- 22.4 cmH2O) or in twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure elicited by bilateral anterolateral magnetic phrenic-nerve stimulation (pre: 16.8 +/- 9.1 cmH2O; post: 17.9 +/- 10 cmH2O). Quadriceps twitch force did not change significantly either in the steroid group (pre: 9.5 +/- 3.1 kg; post: 8.9 +/- 3.7 kg) or in the control patients (pre: 8.1 +/- 2.7 kg; post: 7.9 +/- 2.2 kg). There were no changes in either peak or isotime ventilatory and metabolic parameters during exercise. In conclusion, in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a 2-week course of 30 mg prednisolone daily does not cause significant skeletal muscle dysfunction or alter metabolic parameters during exercise.
Respiratory Muscle Laboratory, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK. n.hopkinson@ic.ac.uk
N S
NS
Hopkinson
W D C
WD
Man
M J
MJ
Dayer
E T
ET
Ross
A H
AH
Nickol
N
N
Hart
J
J
Moxham
M I
MI
Polkey
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects; D009142:Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D011336:Probability; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012016:Reference Values; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D006113:United Kingdom
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones