20
votes
Accepted
Why do corticosteroids harm COVID-19 patients?
One of the primary purposes of corticosteroids is to suppress immune activity and inflammation: that's exactly why they are used in asthma.
Of course the immune system has an actual job besides ...
- 13.8k
5
votes
Accepted
How do steroids work in treating a multiple sclerosis relapse?
Steroids are used as treatment for acute attacks/flares in many diseases because they reduce inflammation.
In multiple sclerosis, they are given to reduce inflammation of the nerves that occurs when ...
- 6,982
4
votes
Accepted
Low dose and high dose dexamethason supression test
In a dexamethasone supression test, it is measured whether given the patient dexamethasone leads to lowered cortisol levels. Lowered cortisol levels are the normal response to dexamethasone; if the ...
- 6,982
4
votes
Accepted
Is there reasonable cause to suspect that taking creatine increases risk of testicular cancer causatively?
Issues with the 2015 study
Demographics
First of all, any conclusions in the paper about the connection between creatine use and TGCC apply almost entirely to Caucasian males, not all males, as you ...
- 403
3
votes
Accepted
Is calling dexamethasone a "psychoactive steroid medication" correct use of the term psychoactive? Because it has reported psychological side effects?
Dexamethasone and other steroids have well-documented psychological effects. There are so many citations available that it's not necessary to pick one in particular.
The definition of "...
- 9,753
3
votes
What are the long term health risks from repeated cortisone injections?
I'll start off by highlighting a couple of more general studies:
Cole & Schumacher (2005): A general study of corticosteroids, this found that some corticosteroids may be free of side effects (...
- 1,848
2
votes
Accepted
How do corticosteroids cause high blood pressure?
I've found a supporting source for the fluid retention claim, in an excerpt from Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine, 6th edition (from 2003). This separates the effects on the kidney into two categories, ...
- 1,848
2
votes
Why do corticosteroids harm COVID-19 patients?
The Lancet article you referenced in your question answered the questions you asked. In the trials of high dose corticosteroids used to treat SARS patients
Corticosteroids use was:
not associated ...
- 13.2k
1
vote
Accepted
Why do corticosteroids have few kidney-related side effects?
Corticosteroids block the enzyme Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) which catalyses the first step in arachidonic acid synthesis pathway. But, NSAIDs blocks activity of cyclooxygenases (COX 1 and COX 2).
So, ...
- 460
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