National survey on status of steroid therapy for cardiac sarcoidosis in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
This investigation was undertaken to clarify the current status of steroid therapy for cardiac sarcoidosis in Japan.


METHODS
A questionnaire survey was conducted throughout Japan concerning cases in which steroid therapy had been administered. Replies describing 52 cases (15 men, 37 women; mean age +/- SD, 59.8 +/- 14.5 years) were analyzed.


RESULTS
Of the 49 patients whose New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification was reported, 29 (55.8%) were in class I; 13 (25.0%) class II; 4 (7.7%) class III and 3 (5.8%) class IV. The most common initial steroid dose (used in 35 cases, or 67.3%) was 30 mg/day or 60 mg on alternate days. In most cases (85.4%), this dose was continued for 1 month followed by tapering by 5 mg every 2 to 4 weeks until reaching the maintenance dose of 5 to 10 mg/day. Steroid therapy was reported to result in improvement in 54%, no change in 40%, and deterioration in 6%.


CONCLUSIONS
This nationwide questionnaire survey indicated fairly uniform patterns of steroid therapy for cardiac sarcoidosis in Japan, with clinical improvement in over one-half of cases and possible stabilization in most others.
Hiramitsu
Shinya
S
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan.
Morimoto
Shin-ichiro
S
Uemura
Akihisa
A
Kato
Yasuchika
Y
Kimura
Katsutomo
K
Ohtsuki
Masatsugu
M
Kato
Shigeru
S
Sugiura
Atsushi
A
Miyagishima
Kenji
K
Hishida
Hitoshi
H
Sugisaki
Katsunori
K
Tsuda
Tomiyasu
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006327:Heart Block / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy*
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone