Dr. Curtis says he prescribes oral steroids for patients who are severely limited and can clearly benefit from this type of medication. Rather for those patients who would benefit, they would substitute inhaled corticosteroids because of their much greater side effect profile. The three-year study showed no benefit in lung function or symptoms when patients with COPD were treated with inhaled budesonide, a corticosteroid, when compared with a placebo. The differences in results between patients using the steroids and those on placebo were small but slightly in favor of the fluticasone. Asthma is primarily a disease of airway inflammation, which responds to the anti-inflammatory effect of steroids.
Some people have both diseases.
So a patient with COPD may benefit from using an inhaled steroid only because of their asthma. For patients with just COPD, the data don't support long-term use of inhaled steroids. Maybe as more studies are done, this will change. Browse other articles on this site. All Rights Reserved.