According to a finding that was presented in a study published in the May 8, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology, boys suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and treated on a daily basis with steroids can walk for long and without any help.

It was also noted that boys treated with daily doses of steroids and suffering from DMD can also reduce the risk of scoliosis with such usage.

From News-Medical.Net:

“Previous studies have shown steroids improve strength and function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but this is the first study to show the long-term impact and how treated boys are able to walk longer on their own,” said study author Wendy King, PT, with the Department of Neurology at Ohio State University Medical Center, and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

However, the study found those boys being treated with daily steroids had an increased risk of vertebral and leg fractures. Vertebral fractures occurred in 32 percent of the boys treated with steroids, whereas there were no fractures reported in the untreated group. Leg fractures were 2.6 times more common in the steroid-treated group. King said this may be due to increased body weight and that the treated boys walked longer than the untreated group.

“The benefits of steroids come at a cost of the side effects, and patients and parents need to weigh the benefits and risk of steroid treatments in order to make an informed decision,” said King.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a health complication that occurs to one in every 3,500 boys and does not have a cure till now.