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Respiratory and skeletal muscle function in steroid-dependent bronchial asthma
C Picado1, J A Fiz, J M Montserrat
1Servei de Pneumologia, Hospital Clinic, Facultad de Medicina, Barcelona, Spain.
The American Review of Respiratory Disease
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Oral corticosteroids for asthma do not cause muscle weakness. Malnutrition, not steroid treatment, is the primary cause of muscle fiber atrophy in steroid-dependent asthma patients.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Endocrinology
- Muscle Physiology
Background:
- Oral steroid dependence is common in severe asthma management.
- Potential side effects include muscle weakness, but evidence is limited.
- Nutritional status may influence muscle health in chronic conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate respiratory and skeletal muscle strength in oral steroid-dependent asthmatics.
- To compare muscle function and nutritional status with non-steroid-dependent asthmatics.
- To investigate the relationship between steroid dosage, treatment duration, and muscle fiber characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Maximal inspiratory/expiratory pressures and myometry for muscle strength.
- Pressure threshold breathing device for endurance testing.
- Nutritional assessment (body weight, skinfolds, serum proteins) and deltoid muscle biopsy for fiber analysis.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in muscle strength or endurance between steroid-dependent and control groups.
- Steroid-dependent asthmatics showed trends towards lower triceps skinfold, total protein, albumin, and potassium, but not statistically significant.
- Type 2 muscle fiber diameter correlated with ideal body weight, not steroid dose or duration.
Conclusions:
- Corticosteroids at typical doses for severe asthma do not appear to cause significant muscular weakness.
- Malnutrition is a more significant factor than corticosteroids in type 2 muscle fiber atrophy in steroid-dependent asthma.