Young male patients with muscular dystrophy now can have relief
Young male patients with muscular dystrophy can expect to attain benefits with a daily treatment with steroids, as per a study supported by the General Clinical Research Center at the Ohio State University and the National Center of Research Resources of NIH.
It was suggested that boys with MD can walk for longer and on their own (without any assistance) by getting themselves administered with steroids on a daily basis. Wendy King, a physical therapist in the neurology department at Ohio State University remarked that the risks of scoliosis and curvature degree can also be reduced considerably with daily corticosteroid treatment.
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 suggested that calcium supplements must be administered to boys with muscle atrophy and regular medical examination must be followed due to orthopedic implications of steroids use.
Tags: calcium supplements, corticosteroids, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Steroids
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