Skip to main content
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases logoLink to Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
. 1987 Mar;46(3):237–243. doi: 10.1136/ard.46.3.237

A controlled trial of nandrolone decanoate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in postmenopausal women.

H A Bird, L Burkinshaw, D Pearson, P J Atkinson, P A Leatham, J Hill, A Raven, V Wright
PMCID: PMC1002107  PMID: 3555359

Abstract

To determine whether an anabolic steroid had any benefit in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis 47 patients entered a parallel group study. Twenty four received nandrolone decanoate 50 mg intramuscularly every third week for two years and 23 patients received no anabolic steroids. Other therapy was unaltered. Patients attended for clinical and biochemical assessments as well as the objective assessments of elementary body composition by in vivo neutron activation analysis and measurement of the mineral content of the distal femur by single photon absorptiometry on five occasions. A modest clinical deterioration (except for grip strength) was seen in both groups. No significant changes in calcium or alkaline phosphatase were seen. There was no significant change in total body calcium, total body phosphorus, body weight, or bone index/bone width measurements in either group. Significant increases occurred in total body nitrogen, total body potassium, haemoglobin, and packed cell volume (by six months) in the group treated with nandrolone decanoate. Comparison of 10 patients in the group treated with nandrolone decanoate also receiving oral steroid therapy with 14 patients in this group not receiving oral steroid therapy showed no significant differences. The main side effect of nandrolone decanoate was hoarseness. No radiological changes were seen. Nandrolone decanoate, in a dose that produces a significant anabolic effect, has no demonstrable action on bone metabolism in rheumatoid arthritis but may improve the chronic anaemia by six months.

Full text

PDF
237

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. 1958 REVISION of diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1959 Feb;2(1):16–20. doi: 10.1002/1529-0131(195902)2:1<16::aid-art1780020104>3.0.co;2-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bird H. A. Bone biopsy in the investigation of bone pain and fractures. Rheumatol Rehabil. 1979 Feb;18(1):38–42. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/18.1.38. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bird H. A., Peacock M., Storer J. H., Wright V. Comparison of serum 25-OH vitamin D concentrations in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis. Br Med J. 1980 Jun 14;280(6229):1416–1416. doi: 10.1136/bmj.280.6229.1416. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bird H. A., Wright V., Hennes U., Theiss E. Comparison of serum 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol concentrations in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1982 Jun;41(3):257–258. doi: 10.1136/ard.41.3.257. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bjelle A. O., Nilsson B. E. Osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis. Calcif Tissue Res. 1970;5(4):327–332. doi: 10.1007/BF02017562. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chesnut C. H., 3rd, Nelp W. B., Baylink D. J., Denney J. D. Effect of methandrostenolone on postmenopausal bone wasting as assessed by changes in total bone mineral mass. Metabolism. 1977 Mar;26(3):267–277. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(77)90073-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gribbin H. R., Matts S. G. Mode of action and use of anabolic steroids. Br J Clin Pract. 1976 Jan;30(1):3–passim. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hancock D. A., Asiedu-Offei S., Atkinson P. J., Reed G. W., Wright V. Femoral bone mass in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis. Rheumatol Rehabil. 1978 May;17(2):65–71. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/17.2.65. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kennedy A. C., Allam R. F., Rooney P. J., Watson M. E., Fairney A., Buchanan K. D., Hillyard C. J. Hypercalcaemia in rheumatoid arthritis: investigation of its causes and implications. Ann Rheum Dis. 1979 Oct;38(5):401–412. doi: 10.1136/ard.38.5.401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Maddison P. J., Bacon P. A. Vitamin D deficiency, spontaneous fractures, and osteopenia in rheumatoid arthritis. Br Med J. 1974 Nov 23;4(5942):433–435. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5942.433. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Rajapakse C., Thompson R., Grennan D. M., Winston B. M., Patel P., Nuttall P. M., Murphy J., Weiss J. B. Increased bone metabolism in rheumatoid arthritis as measured by the whole-body retention of 99Tcm methylene diphosphonate. Ann Rheum Dis. 1983 Apr;42(2):138–141. doi: 10.1136/ard.42.2.138. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Reid D. M., Kennedy N. S., Smith M. A., Tothill P., Nuki G. Total body calcium in rheumatoid arthritis: effects of disease activity and corticosteroid treatment. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Jul 31;285(6338):330–332. doi: 10.1136/bmj.285.6338.330. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ritchie D. M., Boyle J. A., McInnes J. M., Jasani M. K., Dalakos T. G., Grieveson P., Buchanan W. W. Clinical studies with an articular index for the assessment of joint tenderness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Q J Med. 1968 Jul;37(147):393–406. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sharafi A., Pearson D., Oxby C. B., Oldroyd B., Krupowicz D. W., Brooks K., Ellis R. E. Multi-element analysis of the human body using neutron activation. Phys Med Biol. 1983 Mar;28(3):203–214. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/28/3/001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Wahner H. W., Dunn W. L., Riggs B. L. Assessment of bone mineral. Part 2. J Nucl Med. 1984 Nov;25(11):1241–1253. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. West R. R., Reed G. W. The measurement of bone mineral in vivo by photon beam scanning. Br J Radiol. 1970 Dec;43(516):886–893. doi: 10.1259/0007-1285-43-516-886. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES