Do you use delayed-release budesonide over prednisone or methylprednisolone for the treatment of IgA nephropathy, considering the available safety and efficacy data?  

The two agents (TRF-budesonide and systemic glucocorticoids, the latter of which include prednisone and methylprednisolone) have never been compared head-to-head, and so direct comparisons are unavailable. I try to present both options to patients, and in particular, I will focus on the side effect ...

The side effects of chronic prednisone at a high or even medium dose can be really harmful, so you can't keep patients on prednisone on a long-term basis. Budesonide is an attractive option for these patients because it's better tolerated. Although I will point out that despite its first-pass metabo...