Figure 1. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) patients treated with weekend glucocorticoid steroids have reduced markers of obesity and insulin resistance compared with those receiving daily glucocorticoids.

(A) Age, treatment duration, and BMI did not differ between daily (1–2.5 mg/kg/dose × 7 days/week) and high-dose weekend (1–4 mg/kg/dose × 2 consecutive days/week) cohorts. (B) Weekend dosing correlated with normalization of bone density score (DEXA scans at L1–L4 vertebrae) and less suppression of endogenous cortisol levels. (C) Compared with daily steroid treated patients, weekend steroid dosing correlated with decreased fat mass gain and increased lean mass preservation (TBLH, total body less head; DEXA scans). (D) Weekend steroid dosing, as compared with daily steroid dosing, associated with reduced serum insulin, glucose, branched chain amino acids (BCAA), and free fatty acids, consistent with reduced metabolic stress. Histograms depict single values and mean ± SEM; n = 12 patients/cohort; *P < 0.05 vs daily; Welch’s unpaired t test (2-tailed).