What is a common side effect of corticosteroid therapy?

Corticosteroid therapy is known to cause a range of side effects, with weight gain being one of the most common and significant. This weight gain is primarily due to the drug's impact on metabolism and fluid retention. Corticosteroids can increase appetite, leading to increased caloric intake, while also causing changes in how the body processes and stores fats. Additionally, they can cause sodium retention which contributes to edema and subsequent weight gain.

Moreover, corticosteroids can induce insulin resistance, leading to alterations in glucose metabolism, which can result in hyperglycemia rather than hypoglycemia. The systemic effects of corticosteroids, including their influence on the body's hormonal balance, also play a role in the increased propensity for weight gain during therapy. In contrast, the other options such as weight loss, hypoglycemia, and hair loss are generally not associated with routine corticosteroid use and do not reflect the common physiological responses observed during corticosteroid treatment.