HealthMap

Long-Term Corticosteroid Use and Fat Redistribution

Clinical Overview

• Prolonged use of prescription corticosteroids (such as prednisone, cortisone, or dexamethasone) frequently leads to a distinct alteration in body fat distribution.
• This condition is clinically recognized as iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome or steroid-induced fat redistribution.

Specific Effects on Face and Trunk

• Facial Fat Deposition: Patients commonly experience significant swelling and rounding of the face, medically referred to as a moon face.
• Truncal Fat Deposition: Fat tends to accumulate centrally around the abdomen, chest, and upper back, often producing a characteristic buffalo hump at the base of the neck.
• Extremity Wasting: While fat increases in the face and trunk, patients frequently experience a simultaneous loss of muscle mass and thinning of fat in the arms and legs.

Metabolic Factors

• These physical changes occur because corticosteroids significantly alter the body's lipid metabolism, carbohydrate handling, and hormonal balance.
• The severity and onset of these side effects generally correlate directly with the dosage and the duration of the steroid therapy.