Study suggests steroid treatments for rheumatoid arthritis could be safer in future
A new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests steroid treatment for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis could be made safer in future. These findings come following the discovery of a new therapeutic approach with a lower risk of side effects.
A team from the University of Edinburgh’s British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science are developing an improved therapy to replace essential steroids in the body that could aid the treatment of a wide range of diseases, the report says.
For this study, the team of researchers looked specifically at people with adrenal gland disorders whose bodies are unable to produce a form of steroid called corticosteroids.
Current treatment for these patients involves replacing cortisol, one of the steroids in which they are deficient, with a medication, but this method also affects fat tissue in a way that can lead to weight gain, elevated blood pressure and the onset of type 2 diabetes.
To avoid this, the researchers replaced the medication with corticosterone, another steroid that is naturally produced in the body, in the treatment of patients with Addison’s disease, a glandular disorder that causes physical weakness and fatigue. The team found that corticosterone was as effective as cortisol, but had reduced effects on fat cells.
Although the study mostly focused on application in the treatment of Addison’s disease and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, they stated that with further development, it could lead to improved therapies for other conditions that respond to steroid treatment, including rheumatoid arthritis.
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