The use of corticosteroid treatment could delay respiratory failure in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to a recently published abstract in the Child Neurology Society 2025 Annual Conference.
Respiratory problems due to progressive muscle weakness are a significant complication of DMD. Glucocorticoids are known to slow the progression of skeletal muscle decline. Recent studies have also shown that glucocorticoids may help preserve respiratory function; however, the extent and timing of these effects are not fully understood.
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In this context, the authors aimed to clarify the relationship between long-term glucocorticoid use and the risk of respiratory complications during adolescence and early adulthood.
Researchers analyzed Medicaid claims data from 2017 to 2022, focusing on male DMD patients aged 30 years or younger. The included patients were divided into two groups: Long-term glucocorticoid users, defined as individuals with at least 90 days of glucocorticoid use and no gaps longer than 60 days, and non-users, who had no glucocorticoid exposure during the study or in the preceding year. The researchers examined the impact of glucocorticoids at five ages: 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years.
The study cohort included 2,273 male patients, with 1,365 long-term glucocorticoid users and 908 non-users. The results showed that glucocorticoid users had significantly reduced risk of developing pneumonia at ages 10 and 15. Additionally, glucocorticoid use was associated with decreased risk of respiratory failure at ages 15 and 20 .
These results suggest that long-term glucocorticoid therapy provides respiratory protection in DMD patients, particularly during mid-adolescence, with a possible extension of benefits into early adulthood. “These age-stratified findings suggest that GCs [glucocorticoids] delay respiratory progression in DMD,” the authors wrote.
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