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How Do Glucocorticoids Used in Rheumatic Disease Affect Body Weight? A Narrative Review of the Evidence
Author(s) -
Morgan Catharine,
Costello Ruth E.,
Ray David W.,
Dixon William G.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
arthritis care and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.032
H-Index - 163
eISSN - 2151-4658
pISSN - 2151-464X
DOI - 10.1002/acr.23879
Subject(s) - medicine , weight gain , disease , affect (linguistics) , osteoporosis , intensive care medicine , rheumatic disease , narrative review , side effect (computer science) , diabetes mellitus , physical therapy , body weight , psychology , endocrinology , communication , computer science , programming language
Glucocorticoids ( GC s) are widely used to effectively treat inflammatory disease, but GC s have a number of recognized side effects. Patients and clinicians view these side effects differently, with clinicians most concerned with serious side effects such as osteoporosis and diabetes mellitus. Consequently, these side effects are well researched with clinical guidelines and recommendations. A side effect of particular concern to patients is weight gain, but this topic has not been well researched, and consequently clinicians find it difficult to provide patients with accurate information about the potential of weight gain. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of GC use specifically in rheumatic disease, patient views on GC therapy, and GC ‐induced weight gain. We will discuss the evidence, including the extent and the impact of weight gain on the patient, and highlight areas that warrant further investigation.