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[Effect of long term systemic steroid therapy on the cardiac muscle]
A Gawlik1, M Krasnowska, A Spring
1Katedry i Kliniki Chorób Wewnetrznych i Alergologii AM, Wrocławiu.
Insights
Long-term systemic steroid use in asthma patients can lead to heart muscle changes, including decreased contractibility and left ventricle hypertrophy. Occasional steroid use did not show these adverse cardiac effects.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pulmonology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Asthma management often involves corticosteroids.
- Long-term systemic corticosteroid use may have systemic side effects.
- Cardiac function in asthmatic patients on steroids requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of long-term systemic steroid treatment on cardiac morphology and function in asthma patients.
- To compare cardiac changes between asthma patients on long-term versus occasional steroid therapy.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiographic examination was performed on asthmatic patients.
- Patients were categorized based on the duration of steroid treatment: long-term versus occasional.
Main Results:
- Morphological and functional cardiac muscle changes were observed in patients on long-term systemic steroids.
- These cardiac changes were not present in patients receiving occasional steroid treatment.
- Key differences included decreased heart muscle contractibility and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy in the long-term steroid group.
Conclusions:
- Long-term systemic corticosteroid therapy in asthma is associated with significant cardiac muscle alterations.
- Occasional steroid use in asthma does not appear to induce similar cardiac changes.
- These findings highlight the potential cardiotoxic effects of prolonged systemic steroid administration in asthma management.
Abstract:
In asthmatic patients treated on a long term basis with steroids echocardiographic examination of the heart disclosed morphological and functional changes in the heart muscle. Such changes were not found in asthmatic treated occasionally with steroids. Differences between both groups depended on decreased contractibility of the heart muscle and concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle present in asthmatic treated on a long term basis with systemic steroids.