Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic airway disease and the third leading cause of death worldwide. Patients with COPD are often prescribed oral corticosteroids (OCS) when their symptoms suddenly worsen. However, the medical sector has not yet fully grasped the risks associated with this medication.
A long term follow-up study
Professor Gary Tse, Associate Dean (Innovations and Research) of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, formed a research team with researchers from AstraZeneca UK, as well as scholars from King’s College London, University of Aberdeen and University of Ferrara in Italy. The team had been evaluating the associations between COPD-related OCS exposure and adverse outcomes since 2021. By utilising anonymised electronic patient medical records from primary care in England, they conducted a follow-up study that spanned 6.9 years on a group of patients who used OCS and 5.4 years on another group who did not. The team put patients participating in the study into 53,299 pairs for comparative analysis, with each pair consisting of one OCS user and one non-OCS user in similar conditions.
Facing higher risk of 17 diseases
The research concluded that patients exposed to OCS faced a higher risk of 17 diseases and adverse outcomes, including pneumonia, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, weight gain, chronic kidney disease and death. A higher dose of OCS was associated with an increased risk of developing these diseases and other health complications. The use of OCS also elevated health risks for older patients.
The research findings were published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in November 2023, deepening the medical sector's understanding of the side effects of OCS. Professor Tse says, “The study unveils the potential detrimental impact of using OCS in patients with COPD. We recommend that the medical sector establish more appropriate treatments to manage and control symptoms, while reducing the use of this medication.”
