Corticosteroids are a class of chemical substances that include steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Corticosteroids are involved in a wide range of physiological processes, including stress response, immune response, regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte levels, and behavior. E.g. Corticosterone, Cortisone, Aldosterone.
Systemic corticosteroids refer to corticosteroids that are given orally or by injection and distribute throughout the body. Corticosteroids also suppress your immune system, which can help control conditions in which your immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. Corticosteroid medications are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, asthma and allergies
