The correct prednisone starting dose in polymyalgia rheumatica is related to body weight but not to disease severity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

the mainstay of treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is oral glucocorticoids, but randomized controlled trials of treatment are lacking. As a result, there is no evidence from controlled studies on the efficacy of different initial doses or glucocorticoid tapering. The aim of this study is to test if 12.5 mg prednisone/day is an adequate starting dose in PMR and to evaluate clinical predictors of drug response.

Methods

60 consecutive PMR patients were treated with a starting dose of 12,5 mg/day prednisone. Clinical, laboratory, and, in a subset of 25 patients, ultrasonographic features were recorded as possible predictors of response to prednisone. Remission was defined as disappearance of at least 75% of the signs and symptoms of PMR and normalization of ESR

SUBMITTER: Cimmino MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3114801 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature