Estrogen and Steroids

Women who have asthma often have more severe symptoms than men. Donald Y.M. Leung, MD, PhD, and his colleagues examined the possibility that the female hormone estrogen may play a role. Their research found that estrogen significantly dampens, or reduces, the immune response to corticosteroids (steroids), and therefore may reduce the medication's ability to relieve inflammation and asthma symptoms

Corticosteroids are an important part of asthma treatment, and they also help other quick-relief medicines work better.

Learn more about corticosteroids.

This information has been approved by Donald Y.M. Leung, MD, PhD (April 2008).