Steroids That Can Save Preemie Babies May Have Health Downsides

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• August 4, 2023
• Full Page

Steroids are often unnecessarily prescribed to pregnant women thought to be at risk of preterm birth, a new evidence review contends.

As a result, millions of babies are needlessly exposed to long-term health problems associated with steroid use in gestation, such as inc...

Could Cold Air Help Settle a Case of Croup? New Study Says Yes

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• August 1, 2023
• Full Page

Pediatricians have suspected it for years, and now a new study may be proving them right: Cold air really can help ease children's croup symptoms.

Croup is a common childhood illness that usually starts as an ordinary cold. It arises when the infection causes swelling ar...

Steroid Hydrocortisone Alone May Not Cut Death Risk From Septic Shock: Study

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• May 23, 2023
• Full Page

A new study finds that while hydrocortisone on its own may not prevent death from sepsis, it can improve survival when combined with other steroids while eliminating the need for vasopressor drugs.

Vasopressor medications help raise blood pressure when it's so low that y...

Even Decades After Use, Anabolic Steroids Could Take Big Toll on Health

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• May 16, 2023
• Full Page

Lured by promises of bigger muscles and better performance on the field, many athletes and bodybuilders turn to anabolic steroids despite their well-known side effects, including increased risk for heart disease and mood issues.

Now, two new studies show these harms...

Combo Steroid Treatment May Work Best When Sepsis Strikes

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 29, 2023
• Full Page

Giving patients who have septic shock a combo of two steroids could potentially be a lifesaver, according to a new study.

Researchers found that patients receiving a combination of hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone had lower death rates and discharge to hospice compared...

Androstenedione: A Banned Bodybuilding Supplement You Should Avoid

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• February 2, 2023
• Full Page

Androstenedione is one of those supplements that was peddled to athletes for years as a quick path to bulging muscles and high testosterone levels, but it carries some grave dangers.

Also known as "andro," the dietary supplement was once touted to enhance athletic p...

Do Steroid Injections Worsen Arthritic Knees?

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• November 30, 2022
• Full Page

Corticosteroid injections to relieve pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis could actually be setting them back.

Two new studies have discovered that, despite the temporary relief of symptoms, the injections were associated with continued progression of the disease.

Lots of Teen Boys Use Steroids, Often With Side Effects

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• November 28, 2022
• Full Page

Steroid users, especially teen boys and young men, seem indifferent to the serious side effects and dependency associated with use of the drugs, a new study finds.

"We're seeing more young adults and adolescent boys engaging in risk behaviors, such as the use of steroids...

Kids With Bell's Palsy Typically Recover Without Treatment

• HealthDay Reporter
• By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 16, 2022
• Full Page

While adults typically need steroid medication to treat Bell's palsy, mo...

Widely Used Steroid Meds Could Alter the Brain

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• August 31, 2022
• Full Page

Long-term steroid use can reshape the structure of the brain, causing some parts to shrink and others to grow, a major new study reports.

People taking steroids -- even inhaled steroids -- appear to have less intact white matter structure in their brains compared with th...

Two-Drug Inhaler Could Reduce Asthma Attacks

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• May 19, 2022
• Full Page

Two drugs are better than one when it comes to stopping asthma attacks in progress, a new clinical trial has found.

The study, of more than 3,100 asthma patients, found that a two-drug "rescue" inhaler worked better than a standard inhaler in thwarting severe asthma exac...

NSAIDS, Steroids for Back Pain: Is Too Much of Them a Bad Thing?

• HealthDay Reporter
• By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
• May 12, 2022
• Full Page

Persistent use of steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen to treat acute lower back pain may actually turn it into a chronic condition, a new study warns.

However, some experts who expressed concerns about the study published in the jou...

Could Asthma Treatment Raise Your Odds for Obesity?

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• May 2, 2022
• Full Page

Adults who suffer from asthma often need to take corticosteroids to open up their airways, but the medications may have an unintended side effect: New research shows the treatment, particularly when taken in pil...

Prescription Steroids Can Pose Dangers for Sickle Cell Patients

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• April 27, 2022
• Full Page

People with sickle cell disease who take corticosteroids to treat asthma or inflammation may suffer severe pain and even need to be hospitalized, researchers report.

This reaction to corticosteroids can be particularly severe among older people, women and patients not ta...

No Sign Common Steroid Spironolactone Can Cause Cancer: Study

• HealthDay Reporter
• March 10, 2022
• Full Page

The often-used steroid spironolactone is not linked to any increased risk of a range of common cancers, according to a new study.

The synthetic steroid is routinely used to manage heart failure, high blood pressure and edema, and also used off-label to treat acne, hair l...

Rehab or Steroid Shots: What's Best for Arthritic Knees?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• January 28, 2022
• Full Page

Physical therapy for knee arthritis tends to cost patients more out-of-pocket and involves a lot more hassle than a quick steroid shot to soothe an aching joint.

But in the long run, physical therapy is at least as cost-effective as steroid injections and is more likely ...

Are Cortisone Injections Good or Bad for Arthritic Knees?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• December 21, 2021
• Full Page

Cortisone injections have gotten a bad rap in recent years as a treatment for arthritis pain, because steroids are known to damage cartilage and could potentially cause the joint to further deteriorate.

But a new study suggests that if used wisely, cortisone shots are as...

Dexamethasone Can Help the Sickest COVID Patients Survive. So Why Are Too Few Getting It?

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• August 17, 2021
• Full Page

There's strong evidence that the steroid drug dexamethasone can significantly lower hospitalized patients' risk of dying from COVID-19, but many who might benefit from it the most aren't getting it.

"Dexamethasone is a steroid that is used for the treatment of arthritis,...