Single Daily Dose Prednisone Therapy

Seventy-six adults with either arthritis or asthma have been treated with a single daily dose of up to 15 mg of prednisone for from one to 19 years (average, 3.7 years). Although blunting of the serum cortisol response to adrenocorticotropic hormone occurred in some, no complete pituitary suppression occurred until a larger dose was given. The single daily dose can be given in either the morning or evening with no notable difference in serum cortisol response to adrenocorticotropic hormone. Only minor side effects occurred infrequently. This therapeutic regimen should be useful in other diseases for which steroid therapy is indicated. Patients receiving a single daily dose should receive supplemental corticosteroids during periods of unusual stress, eg, a major surgical procedure. ( JAMA 241:2721-2723, 1979)