Steroid-induced hyperglycaemia in hospitalised patients: does it matter?

Steroid-induced hyperglycaemia is a common problem faced by endocrinologists in hospital wards. In this issue of Diabetologia, Popovic and colleagues (DOI10.1007/s00125-016-4091-4) have conducted a subanalysis within a randomised controlled trial of prednisone therapy for community-acquired pneumonia. The authors found that the presence of diabetes or hyperglycaemia related to steroid therapy did not attenuate the clinical benefits of steroid therapy. The relevance and possible implications of these findings are discussed.