Oral steroids in rheumatoid arthritis. Helpful but not remittive.

Although low-dose oral corticosteroid therapy cannot be considered remittive, it has earned a place in the therapeutic armamentarium for rheumatoid arthritis. Major clinical trials of a group using corticosteroid compared with a control group have not been done since the 1950s. One of these three large trials showed some slowing of the destructive joint changes of rheumatoid arthritis with use of low doses of corticosteroid. However, these agents have well-known side effects, especially when used long-term. Elderly patients or those who have features of the disease that indicate progression (eg, multiple joint involvement, elevated ESR, early evidence of erosion on x-ray films) are likely to benefit from carefully controlled doses of a corticosteroid. Because these drugs diminish bone formation and arthritis itself accelerates osteoporosis, supplemental calcium and vitamin D are useful adjuncts. A remittive agent and aspirin-like drug should be prescribed along with the corticosteroid. Abrupt withdrawal of even a very low dose of corticosteroids in rheumatoid arthritis patients causes a flare.