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Steroids provide relief to Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients

Steroids provide relief to Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients Boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (MD) can expect to walk for long and without any assistance when treated with a daily administration of steroids, as per study supported by the General Clinical Research Center at the Ohio State University and the National Center of Research Resources of NIH.

Wendy King, a physical therapist in the neurology department at Ohio State University, was of the view that scoliosis and curvature degree risks are reduced to significant extents with daily administration of corticosteroids, which improve function and strength in boys with X-linked recessive ailment.

From Medpagetoday.com:

The reason for non-treatment with steroids was invariably parent refusal because of fear of side effects, the researchers said. The average duration of steroid use was 8.04 years.

The study found:

* Boys on steroids were able to walk independently, on average, 3.3 years longer than those who weren’t treated. The difference — from 9.21 years to 12.52 years — was significant at P<0.0001.

* The prevalence of scoliosis in the treated boys was 31%, compared with 91% among those not getting steroids, a difference that was significant at P<0.0001.

* The average scoliotic curve was 11.6 degrees in the treated boys, compared with 33.2 degrees in the untreated boys, which was also significant at P<0.0001.

* On the other hand, 32% of the treated boys had vertebral compression fractures versus none in those not getting steroids, which was significant at P<0.0012.

* The yearly long-bone fracture rate was 0.088 among the treated boys, but only 0.033 in the untreated group, difference by a factor of 2.6, which was significant at P<0.0032.

Several factors probably play a role in the increased rate of long-bone fractures, the researchers said, including prolonged independent walking and increased body weight because of the steroids.

It was also remarked that patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy must be given calcium supplements along with regular care in the form of bone density examinations at intervals of 1/2 month to 2 years because of orthopedic implications of steroids use.

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