Control of steroid-induced diabetes with supplemental chromium

Corticosteroid treatment leads to decreased insulin sensitivity, impaired g lucose tolerance, and/or diabetes as well as increased losses of the essent ial nutrient, chromium [Ravina et al., Diabetes Med, 1999]. Since supplemen tal chromium leads to improved glucose levels and increased insulin sensiti vity in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes, we supplemen ted 50 patients with steroid-induced diabetes with supplemental chromium, 2 00 mu g of Cr as chromium picolinate three times per day. Within 1 week of supplemental chromium, blood glucose values of 47 of 50 patients with uncon trolled steroid-induced diabetes decreased from >13.9 mmol L-1 (250 mg dL(- 1)) to <8.3 mmol L-1 (150 mg dL(-1)). Oral hypoglycemic medications and/or insulin were reduced one-half in patients prior to the initiation of supple mental chromium. These data demonstrate that chromium may be beneficial in the control of steroid-induced diabetes. J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 12:375-37 8, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.dagger