Some older individuals may experience side effects that are more pronounced. Older adults have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure or osteoporosis (loss of bone density) when taking corticosteroid drugs. Women, in particular, are at risk for this condition.

Corticosteroids sometimes cause thinning of the skin, and this effect can be more pronounced in older patients, whose skin usually is thinner than younger people. Thinning of the skin may result in skin tears and blood-stained blisters on the skin.

Patients over the age of 50 also risk the development of cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye) and glaucoma (a group of diseases that can damage the optic nerve, resulting in vision loss). For this reason, older adults taking high doses of corticosteroids may be advised to undergo eye examinations.