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[Glucocorticoid treatment improves glucose tolerance in patients with temporal arteritis or polymyalgia rheumatica]
J A Sáez Barcelona1, M Carmona Martín, V Navarro López
1Hospital General de Albacete.
Background:
Corticosteroid therapy has been shown to improve glucose tolerance in some connective tissue diseases. This fact has been inadequately investigated in vasculitis.
Objective:
To evaluate the effect of glucocorticoid therapy on glucose tolerance in patients with temporal arteritis (TA) or polymyalgia rheumatica (PR).
Materials And Methods:
An oral test with glucose overload (OGO) was performed before and after one month of initiating therapy with corticosteroids in 14 patients with TA or PR (TA/PR group) and in nine patients with other chronic inflammatory diseases (control group).
Results:
After treatment, patients with TA/PR experienced a decrease in the area under the glucose curve and in serum glucose values at minutes 0, 90, and 120 of the OGTT. Also, a decrease was observed for the area under the insulin curve and for plasma insulin levels at minutes 90 and 120 after OGO.
Conclusions:
Therapy with corticosteroids improves glucose tolerance in TA/PR with no increase in insulin secretion.