Table 1. Medians and ranges of clinical parameters in the high-dose prednisolone group.
| Median |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Day 7 | Day 28 | Day 56 | Day 84 | |
| Pre-ACTH serum Cortisol concentration (µg/dl) | 2.7 (1.1–4.4) | 2.2 (0.5–3.7) | |||
| Post-ACTH serum Cortisol concentration (µg/dl) | 9.8 (5.0–12.5) | 1.5 (0.5–2.2) | |||
| Heart rate (bpm) | 140 (90–169) | 118 (63–166) | 128 (89–195) | 121 (102–180) | 124 (91–154) |
| SBP (mmHg) | 139 (127–152) | 155 (130–168) | 153 (135–174) | 148 (132–172) | 161** (155–202) |
ACTH: adrenocorticotropic hormone; bpm: beats per minute; Day 0: Before initiation of medication; Day 7: 7 days after the initiation of medication; Day 28: 28 days after the initiation of medication; Day 56: 56 days after the initiation of medication; Day 84: 84 days after the initiation of medication; SBP: systolic blood pressure. Data are expressed as medians (range). **Indicates a significant difference compared to Day 0 values at P<0.01. The reference ranges of the baseline plasma cortisol concentration and the post-stimulation plasma cortisol concentration were 1.0–7.8 µg/dl and 5.0–20.0 µg/dl, respectively [40].