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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Sep 15.
Published in final edited form as: Eur J Pharmacol. 2016 Jul 5;787:57–71. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2016.06.018

Table 1.

Relative potencies of commonly used corticosteroids (Chrousos 2012).

Agent aRelative glucocorticoid activity (Anti-inflammatory) Duration of action (hours) Transcortin binding Structure
Cortisol (hydrocortisone) 1 S ++++ graphic file with name nihms803108t1.jpg
Cortisone 0.8 S − graphic file with name nihms803108t2.jpg
Prednisone 4–5 S +++ graphic file with name nihms803108t3.jpg
Prednisolone 5 S ++ graphic file with name nihms803108t4.jpg
Methylprednisolone 5 S − graphic file with name nihms803108t5.jpg
Meprednisone 5 S − graphic file with name nihms803108t6.jpg
Triamcinolone 5 I − graphic file with name nihms803108t7.jpg
Paramethasone 10 I − graphic file with name nihms803108t8.jpg
Flupredinsolone 15 I − graphic file with name nihms803108t9.jpg
Betamethasone 25–40 L − graphic file with name nihms803108t10.jpg
Triamcinolone acetonide 30 I − graphic file with name nihms803108t11.jpg
Dexamethasone 30 L − graphic file with name nihms803108t12.jpg
Flumethasone 120 L − graphic file with name nihms803108t13.jpg

S= short (~12 hr.), I=intermediate (~24 hr.), L=Long (~ 48–72 hr.).

a

Relative to cortisol.