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Inhaled steroids more of a risk than a benefit in severe COPD

Inhaled steroids more of a risk than a benefit in severe COPD New research points that a combination of inhaled steroids and long acting beta agonist (LABA) does not reduce the incidence of severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations.

Further studies show that combined treatment increased the patient’s risk of developing pneumonia by 63 percent, viral respiratory infections by 22 percent and fungal infections in the mouth, such as oral thrush, by 59 percent.

However, the combination therapy significantly reduced the risk of moderate COPD flare-ups compared with single drug therapy.

Overall mortality rate was not reduced using the two-drug approach compared to the single drug therapy.

Dr. Gustavo J. Rodrigo from the Hospital Central de las Fuerzas Armadas in Montevideo, Uruguay, and his associates, reviewed the efficacy of the combination therapy versus the single drug therapy.

After this extensive systematic review, Dr. Rodrigo and associates pointed out the flaw in the current guidelines in treating patients with COPD. The drug combination is still being used for severe and very and severe COPD patients.

According to the authors, the benefits did not reach the suggested clinically important minimal differences.

They concluded that patients with severe COPD should be better treated with LABA alone, until further research would identify which type or severity of COPD would most likely benefit from the combined therapy.

From Reuters Health:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In people who suffer from COPD, a progressive lung disease that makes it hard to breathe, adding an inhaled steroid to a so-called “long-acting beta-2 agonist” may do more harm than good, new research hints.

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