High versus Medium Dose of Inhaled Corticosteroid in Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Inhaled corticosteroids and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are widely used in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, ICS are associated with an increased risk of adverse effects.We aimed to determine whether an association between a lower respiratory tract culture with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and increasing ICS dosing in patients with COPD exists.

DESIGN

An observational cohort study of outpatients with COPD in Denmark between 2010 and 2018.ICS exposure was categorised into four groups based on average daily consumption 1 year prior to inclusion: no use, low ICS dose (≤400 µg), moderate ICS dose (400-800 µg) and high ICS dose (>800 µg). Dose-response relationship was investigated by a multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

Of the total 22 689 patients, 459 had lower respiratory tract cultures positive for S. maltophilia. The HR of S. maltophilia increased with increasing daily ICS dose: low ICS dose HR 2.6 (95% CI 1.6 to 4.0), moderate ICS dose HR 3.0 (95% CI 1.9 to 4.6) and high ICS dose HR 5.7 (95% CI 3.8 to 8.5).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that ICS was associated with a high, dose-dependent increased hazard of S. maltophilia in outpatients with COPD. High dose users had a nearly six times increased hazard compared with non-users of ICS. When appropriate, attempts at de-escalating ICS treatment should be made.

Inhaled Corticosteroids in Subjects with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Old, Unfinished History

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the major causes of disability and death. Maintenance use of inhaled bronchodilator(s) is the cornerstone of COPD pharmacological therapy, but inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are also commonly used. This narrative paper reviews the role of ICSs as maintenance treatment in combination with bronchodilators, usually in a single inhaler, in stable COPD subjects. The guidelines strongly recommend the addition of an ICS in COPD subjects with a history of concomitant asthma or as a step-up on the top of dual bronchodilators in the presence of hospitalization for exacerbation or at least two moderate exacerbations per year plus high blood eosinophil counts (≥300/mcl). This indication would only involve some COPD subjects. In contrast, in real life, triple inhaled therapy is largely used in COPD, independently of symptoms and in the presence of exacerbations. We will discuss the results of recent randomized controlled trials that found reduced all-cause mortality with triple inhaled therapy compared with dual inhaled long-acting bronchodilator therapy. ICS use is frequently associated with common local adverse events, such as dysphonia, oral candidiasis, and increased risk of pneumonia. Other side effects, such as systemic toxicity and unfavorable changes in the lung microbiome, are suspected mainly at higher doses of ICS in elderly COPD subjects with comorbidities, even if not fully demonstrated. We conclude that, contrary to real life, the use of ICS should be carefully evaluated in stable COPD patients.

Risk of adverse reactions associated with inhaled corticosteroids for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

In the majority of current therapeutic regimens for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchodilators are coupled with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) to lower the inflammatory response and improve symptoms. This study aims to evaluate the safety of ICS in the treatment of COPD.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials related to ICS for COPD that were eligible up to 1 June 2023 were searched in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane. We searched and screened eligible studies for the occurrence of total adverse events, cardiovascular events, upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), pneumonia, oral Candida infections, and musculoskeletal disorders, and finally analyzed them by Review Manager 5.4.1.

RESULTS

The results showed that ICS increased the incidence of adverse reactions in COPD patients (RR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.03-1.10, P = .0004); ICS treatment did not increase the risk of cardiovascular events in COPD patients (RR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.88-1.02, P = .14); ICS increased the incidence of URTI in COPD patients (RR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.02-1.62, P = .03); ICS increased the incidence of pneumonia in patients with COPD (RR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.63-2.69, P < .00001); ICS treatment significantly increased the incidence of oral Candida in patients with COPD (RR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.99-4.41, P < .00001); ICS increased the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in patients with COPD (RR = 2.87, 95% CI: 1.51-5.45, P = .001).

CONCLUSION

ICS does not increase the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with COPD, but it does increase the risk of URTI, pneumonia, oral Candida infections, and musculoskeletal disorders in patients with COPD.