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Last updated Thursday, December 30, 2004
What are they?
Corticosteroids are medications often used to treat arthritis and related conditions. These medications are widely used because of their overall effectiveness in reducing inflammation--the process that causes the joint pain, warmth, and swelling of arthritis and related conditions. Examples of corticosteroids include cortisone, prednisone, and methylprednisolone.
These medications are related to cortisol, which occurs naturally in the body. Cortisol is a hormone that controls many important body functions. You could not live without cortisol.
Corticosteroids are hormones, but they are not sex hormones. Sex hormones regulate sexual and reproductive function; corticosteroids do not. Doctors sometimes refer to corticosteroids as steroids. However, corticosteroids are not the same as anabolic steroid drugs that some athletes abuse.
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