Why Steroids Cause High Blood Sugar in Nephrotic Syndrome

Steroids are commonly used by people with Nephrotic Syndrome. However, long-term hormone therapy is quite prone to elevate blood sugar and even cause Diabetes.

During receiving steroids treatment, if the blood sugar level rises and reach the level of Diabetes, the patients with Nephrotic Syndrome will get confirmed diagnosis of Diabetes. The incidence of Diabetes is as high as 10~40% among the patients receiving long-term steroid treatment. The Diabetes process is similar to Type 2 Diabetes through the following steps:

Insulin resistance--- pancreatic B-cell excretion function is damaged--- ghlcose tolerance is damaged

Steroids can enhance the neoglycogenesis in liver and promote the decomposing of hepatic glycogen and inhibit the use of glucose by the peripheral tissues thus causing blood sugar level to increase. Generally speaking, the elderly, the obese and people with history of Diabetes( how to find Diabetes in early time) are more likely to develop Diabetes. Because this part of people has decline in pancreas islet function or have insulin resistance.

To prevent Diabetes in patients who take steroid treatment, they should monitor their blood glucose level regularly. During the treatment process, they should know the indications and contraindications of hormone so as to choose proper types of hormones.

In a word, if the patients with Nephrotic Syndrome need to use steroid in the long term, they should also take the level of HBALC at least one time in half of a year. HBALC can reflect the blood sugar level within 2~3 months. So it can reflect the blood sugar change more accurately after using steroids.

To avoid Diabetes completely for the patients with Nephrotic Syndrome, they should change the hormone therapy to another new treatment immediately.


If you are sick of the side effects of hormone and do not know how to deal with the relapse of Nephrotic Syndrome, it is free for you to consult us on line.