Steroid-induced diabetes is characterized as an unusual rise in blood sugar that is linked to the use of glucocorticoids in a patient who may or may not have had diabetes in the past.
Causes
Steroid diabetes is caused by the use of glucocorticoids.
Glycemic control can be impacted by other immunosuppressive medications through different mechanisms, which could complicate the effects of glucocorticoid therapy.
There is an inverse correlation between serum magnesium levels and glycemic control, according to several studies.
Although chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is thought to be a separate risk factor for the development of diabetes in both the general population and liver transplant recipients, liver disease is known to exacerbate impaired glucose tolerance.
Diagnosis
The American Diabetes Association defines the following criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes: a HbA1c of 6.5%, an 8-hour fasting blood glucose of 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL), a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) of ≥ 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL), or in patients exhibiting hyperglycemic symptoms, a random plasma glucose of ≥ 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL).
Treatment
Like with all forms of diabetes, lifestyle modification, including exercise and dietary counseling to offer options that might lessen postprandial hyperglycemia, is the first step toward improving glycemic control.