corticosteroid

Corticosteroids are steroid hormones from the outer layer (cortex) of the adrenal glands, the small caps sitting on top of the kidneys, and the drugs that copy them. The body's own versions help you handle stress, keep blood pressure and salt in balance, and manage inflammation. As medicines, they are among the most powerful and widely used anti-inflammatory drugs we have.

There are two functional families. Glucocorticoids, such as cortisol and the synthetic drugs prednisolone and dexamethasone, mainly regulate glucose metabolism and powerfully suppress inflammation and the immune system. Mineralocorticoids, chiefly aldosterone, mainly regulate sodium, potassium, and water. Both act on nuclear receptors inside cells, switching genes on and off, which is why their effects build up over hours and persist. Many synthetic glucocorticoids are engineered to minimize mineralocorticoid (salt-retaining) activity.

Therapeutically corticosteroids span an enormous range: asthma inhalers, skin creams, joint injections, and systemic tablets or infusions for autoimmune disease, allergy, and transplant rejection. The catch is that long-term systemic use mimics excess cortisol (Cushing-like effects): weight gain, high blood sugar, thinning bones, infection risk, and skin and muscle changes. Crucially, prolonged courses suppress the body's own production, so the dose must be tapered, not stopped abruptly, to let the adrenal glands recover.