Mildly asthmatic patients: inhaled corticosteroids had only a small effect on BMD in study.(Gynecology)

NEW ORLEANS -- Inhaled corticosteroids appear to have little effect on the bone mineral density of mildly asthmatic patients, according to the results of a 2-year study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

Both men and women on two different doses of fluticasone propionate to treat their asthma had bone mineral densities (BMDs) comparable with those of patients on placebo, said Dr. James P. Kemp of the University of California, San Diego.

"The mean percent change was less than 1% for all of the groups," with one exception, Dr. Kemp said.

The findings lend support for corticosteroids in the debate over the long-term safety of the standard asthma treatment.

"Despite the fact that there have been a lot of data on the safety of inhaled corticosteroids for asthma and even a good deal of data on BMD, we continue to hear reports ... that there can be effects on the bone," Dr. Kemp said.

The study included men aged 18-50 and women aged 18-40. Patients had to have at least a 6-month history of stable asthma and the capacity to be managed for 2 years without systemic or inhaled corticosteroids. As a precaution, the investigators did allow patients to receive up to two 10-day bursts of prednisone if necessary to retain them in the study.

Patients had a 21-day placebo run-in before randomization to receive twice daily 88 [micro]g of fluticasone (55 patients), 440 [micro]g of fluticasone (51 patients), or placebo (54 patients).