Steroids Flashcards
What are corticosteroids used for
- these are widely used int he treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases
what is cortisol known as
stress hormone
name the three phases of stress and describe them
- Alarm 6-48 hours
- Resistance – chronic stress 2 days to 1 months
- Exhaustion (pathogenic stress) longer than 3 months
what happens to cortisol when you are stress
- normally the cortisol levels undergo a circadian rhythm and are high in the morning and slowly decrease throughout the day
- when you are stressed the cortisol levels can rise and stay risen throughout the day
- they can be higher than the normal circadian rhythm
describe how cortisol can be goo and bad for you
- as you increase cortisol it can increase your activity until it gets too high then it can decrease your activity
What do corticosteroids do
- these stop the rebound response to infection or traumatic episode
what are the sides effects of corticosteroids
Main ones
- glycosuria
- hypertension
- glaucoma
- osteoporosis
- juvenile growth retardation
others
- Oedema
- Weight gian
- Myopathy
- Hyperlipidamiea
- Thrombosis
- Gi bleeding
- Peptic ulcers
- Pancretitis
- Colonic performation
- Cataracts
- Insomnia
- Depression/psychosis
- Increased infection risk
what is the action of corticosteroids on osteoblasts and osteoclasts
– can cause osteoblast to decrease and cause osteoclast to decrease but the amount of decrease is less than osteoblast therefore the net effect is the breakdown of bone
- can eventually cause avascular necrosis
what do osteoclasts do basically
break down bone
what do osteoblasts do basically
build up bone
what is avascular necrosis
– this is due to the loss of blood vessels going to that area of the bone
what is the biggest cause of hip replacement in the UK
avascuarl necrisosi
what is caused by excess corticosteroids/cortsiol
- Caused by excess of corticosteroids in the body
- Caused by excess of cortisol
what is caused by decreased levels of corticosteroids and cortisol
- Caused by decreased corticosteroids in the body
- Reduction of cortisol
Name some functions of corticosteroids
cardiovascular
- hypertnesvie
carbohydrate metabolism
- hyperglycaemia due to inhibition of insulin and stimulation of glucagon
lipid metabolism
- increased lipolysis in adipocytes
CNS
- regulation of neuronal excitability
imune suste
- immunosupresvie
kidney
- permissive action of tubular function and glomuerlar filtration
skeletal system
- maitnaince of msucuarl tone