Steroid Therapy Effectively Delays Duchenne's Cardiomyopathy

Perhaps most importantly, the present study enrolled >75% of patients with normal ejection fraction at the time of steroid initiation. [...]this study is the largest series to examine the effects of steroid treatment on cardiac size and function in DMD patients already receiving standard pharmacological therapy. 4) Should serial cardiac assessment using tissue Doppler parameters or cardiac MRI be used to determine the optimum time to initial steroid treatment or to monitor response to therapy? Because it is unlikely that randomized, controlled studies will examine these specific questions, empirical therapy is likely to remain the standard of care for the foreseeable future.