Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40037582›Full record

ArticleRheumatology (Oxford, England)2025

Patient perspectives on the impact of appearance and weight changes attributed to systemic glucocorticoid treatment of rheumatic diseases.

Stephanie J Lax, Emma Dures, Susan Bridgewater, Christine A Silverthorne, Vivien Lowndes, Pam Richards, Andreia Ferreira, Michael A Shepherd, Jill Dawson, Catherine Hill and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Stephanie J LaxDepartment of Lifespan and Population Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7000-9364
Emma DuresSchool of Health and Social Wellbeing, Centre for Health and Clinical Research, University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Susan BridgewaterSchool of Health and Social Wellbeing, Centre for Health and Clinical Research, University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Christine A SilverthorneSchool of Health and Social Wellbeing, Centre for Health and Clinical Research, University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Vivien LowndesDepartment of Lifespan and Population Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6935-2720
Pam RichardsSchool of Health and Social Wellbeing, Centre for Health and Clinical Research, University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Andreia FerreiraRheumatology Department, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
Michael A ShepherdSchool of Health and Social Wellbeing, Centre for Health and Clinical Research, University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Jill DawsonNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Catherine HillDiscipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
Susan GoodmanDivision of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Sarah L MackieLeeds Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2483-5873
Mwidimi NdosiSchool of Health and Social Wellbeing, Centre for Health and Clinical Research, University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7764-3173
Fiona A PearceDepartment of Lifespan and Population Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2884-1998
Joanna C RobsonSchool of Health and Social Wellbeing, Centre for Health and Clinical Research, University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7939-5978

Funding

Above & Beyond Bristol Hospitals CharityAbove and Beyond Bristol HospitalsARTHFNArthritis AustraliaAustralia New Zealand Vasculitis SocietyAustralian Rheumatology AssociationDepartment of Health and Social CareLeeds Biomedical Research Centre NIHR203331Medical Advisor and Board Member Arthritis South AustraliaNational Health ServiceNational Institute for Health and Care Research NIHR300863NHMRCNHS Foundation Trust 2019-Spr-07NIHSanofiUniversity Hospitals BristolUniversity of the West of England UWE-QR-2021Vifor Pharma
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo explore patients' perspectives on the impact of appearance changes attributed to glucocorticoid treatment.

methodsA secondary inductive thematic analysis was conducted of the 'Steroid PRO' semi-structured interviews with patients with rheumatic conditions receiving glucocorticoids in the UK, USA and Australia.

resultsSixty patient interviews were analysed. Patient age was 26-84 years; 39 (65%) were female; and the patients had systemic vasculitis (n = 19), inflammatory arthritis (n = 14), crystal arthropathy (n = 2), connective tissue disorders (n = 16) or other/multiple (n = 9). In addition to participants expressing the need for more information and support, three over-arching themes were identified: (i) societal norms ['I think my main concern, particularly being female, was the weight gain that the steroids had' (female aged 26-30)]; these included real or perceived expectations to which participants felt pressure to conform, which were sustained through interactions with others; (ii) harms to mental health and sense of self ['It makes you feel down. It makes you feel depressed. You don't want to socialize because you're not you' (male aged 61-65)]; glucocorticoids were described as making participants 'not look like' themselves, associated with changes in mood and self-confidence; and (iii) burden of adjustments ['I have a wardrobe right now that goes four different sizes' (female aged 51-55)]; other adjustments related to diet, exercise, work, hobbies, activities of daily living and key life events.

conclusionPatients attribute a variety of impacts on their quality of life to glucocorticoid-related appearance changes. We suggest ways to meet patients' needs for information and support, which can be developed through further work.

Indexed as

Body ImageGlucocorticoidsRheumatic DiseasesWeight GainAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchQuality of LifeUnited KingdomGlucocorticoidsappearance changesglucocorticoidsmental healthquality of lifeweight gain

Identifiers

PMID40037582
PMCPMC12107043

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.