News On Prednisone Side Effects From Europe: Does It Make Sense0 Or Not?

The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) has issue guidelines for the management of glucocorticoid (steroid, cortisone) therapy in arthritis. EULAR is the equivalent of the American College of Rheumatology in the United States.

Approximately 20 leading experts on steroid therapy reviewed 5,089 studies to develop the final guidelines they recommended.
These include the following:
Adverse effects of steroid therapy (also known as glucocorticoid therapy), which usually is prednisone should be considered and discussed with the patient before starting steroid therapy.
All patients taking long term therapy should carry a card stating when the treatment was started, the initial dose, and subsequent changes in dose.
Dosing decisions should be based on the underlying disease, disease activity, risk factors, and individual patient responsiveness. The timing of the dose is important because of the body0s normal circadian rhythm and how this is affected by glucocorticoids.
Co-morbidities (other medical conditions) and risk factors for side effects such as diabetes and hypertension should be assessed and treated. Patients with these conditions need to be followed closely.
When treatment is prolonged, steroid dosages should be minimized and attempts should be made to taper the therapy when a patient goes into remission or their disease becomes relatively quiet.
Patients taking glucorticoids longer than one month […]

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