Nineteen percent were found have osteoporosis in the spine. Ten percent of the study subjects had experienced a broken bone. However, the diminished levels of sex hormone in these individuals were not related to the bone density or fractures. It should be noted that prior studies have confirmed that taking cortisone medication and having a low blood testosterone level are both risk factors for osteoporosis. This study shows that rheumatoid arthritis by itself is also a risk factor for osteoporosis in men.
Cortisone medications are among the most potent anti-inflammatory drugs available.
However, it has never been certain that prednisone prevents damage or progression of rheumatoid arthritis despite its ability to fight inflammation and reduce pain and swelling. A study published in the Journal of Rheumatology in October 2000 examined 1433 patients with rheumatoid arthritis to determine whether patients taking prednisone had less joint damage. However, this study showed that regardless of how long the patient had the rheumatoid arthritis, prednisone did not prevent rheumatoid arthritis joint damage. Note should be made that the dose of prednisone examined in this study was equal to or less than 5 milligrams daily. It is unknown whether larger doses would have had a different effect.