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Questions and Answers
- Q
- Can you tell me anything about taking prednisone and the link between
type 2 Diabetes? What are the risk factors?
- A
- ... prednisone is one of several glucocorticoids, very
valuable in the practice of medicine, but with, unfortunately, no shortage
of side-effects ... all are dose-related so that the chance of unwanted
action occurring will increase with size of dosage and prolongation of
therapy ... in about 1/4 to 1/3 of patients receiving prolonged steroid
therapy, the hyperglycemic effects lead to decreased glucose tolerance,
decreased responsiveness to insulin, and even glycosuria ... ketoacidosis
occurs very rarely.
Pharmacological concentrations of steroids only rarely produce frank
diabetes in normal individuals, but may unmask diabetes in those with low
insulin reserve.
Hope this takes care of your query.
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