HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Review article: appropriate use of corticosteroids in Crohn's disease.

AbstractBACKGROUND:
Corticosteroids are a well-established treatment for active Crohn's disease and have been widely used for decades. It has become apparent, however, that a proportion of patients either fails to respond to corticosteroids or is unable to withdraw from them without relapsing. Furthermore, their use is associated with a range of side effects, such that long-term treatment carries unacceptable risk.
AIM:
To review the evidence regarding the appropriate use of corticosteroids in Crohn's disease, along with their side effects, safety and alternatives.
METHODS:
To collect relevant articles, a PubMed search was performed from 1966 to November 2006 using the terms 'steroid', 'corticosteroid', 'glucocorticoid', 'prednisolone', 'prednisone', 'methylprednisolone', 'hydrocortisone', 'dexamethasone' and 'budesonide' in combination with 'Crohn(s) disease'. Relevant articles were reviewed, as were their reference lists to identify further articles.
RESULTS:
When used correctly, corticosteroids are a highly effective, well tolerated, cheap and generally safe treatment for active Crohn' disease. Nevertheless, approximately 50% of recipients will either fail to respond (steroid-resistant) or will be steroid dependent at 1 year. Newer alternatives to corticosteroids are not, however, without risk themselves and, moreover, are not necessarily available universally.
CONCLUSIONS:
Steroids are used widely to treat Crohn's disease, a situation that is unlikely to change in the near future. Accordingly, efforts should be made to ensure that they are used correctly and that their side effects are minimized. Reference is made to recently published guidelines and a simplified 'users guide' is presented.
AuthorsP M Irving, R B Gearry, M P Sparrow, P R Gibson
JournalAlimentary pharmacology & therapeutics (Aliment Pharmacol Ther) Vol. 26 Issue 3 Pg. 313-29 (Aug 01 2007) ISSN: 0269-2813 [Print] England
PMID17635367 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
Chemical References
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Topics
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
  • Crohn Disease (drug therapy)
  • Humans
  • Risk Factors
  • Secondary Prevention
  • Substance-Related Disorders (etiology)

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: