Addison's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Addison's Disease, including details on chronic adrenal insufficiency, treatment, causes, medication.

Therapeutic doses of glucocorticoids: implications for oral medicine.

Baid SK, Nieman LK

Reproductive Biology and Medicine Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1109, USA.

Glucocorticoids can cause adverse systemic side-effects ranging from iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome during treatment, to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression and clinically significant adrenal insufficiency when the agents are discontinued. While the oral route of administration is most often implicated, it is now becoming more apparent that inhaled and topical administration also can cause these effects. Given the high therapeutic value of glucocorticoids, the ability to prescribe these agents while maintaining a low risk-to-benefit ratio for patients is critical. The aim of this review is to provide oral healthcare practitioners with a practical guide to commonly used glucocorticoids, their adverse effects, and perioperative use.

Published 16 August 2006 in Oral Dis, 12(5): 436-42.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Addison's Disease Research Today. All Rights Reserved.