Could Inhaled Corticosteroids Increase Fracture Risk in Asthma Patients?

Inhaled corticosteroid use does not increase the risk of fractures among children with asthma, according to a recent study.

For their population-based study, the researchers assessed the incidence of first fracture following asthma diagnosis among 19,420 children (61% male, 31.5% were aged 6 to 9 years at day of index) using health administrative databases. Cases of fractures were matched to fracture-free controls by date of birth, sex, and age of asthma diagnosis. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds for fracture based on current, recent, past, and no use of inhaled corticosteroids.
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After the researchers adjusted for sociodemographic factors and other medication use, they found no significant association between first fracture following asthma diagnosis and current use, recent use, or past use of inhaled corticosteroids compared with no use. However, they did find an association between systemic corticosteroid use and greater odds for fractures.

“Systemic corticosteroids, but not inhaled corticosteroids, were significantly associated with increased odds of fracture in the pediatric asthma population,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Gray N, Howard A, Zhu J, Feldman LY, To T. Association between inhaled corticosteroid use and bone fracture in children with asthma [published online November 13, 2017]. JAMA Pediatr. Published online November 13, 2017. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.3579.