Moderate Steroid Use Does Not Increase Fractures

A large-scale study of patients over 65 who used inhaled or nasal steroids for four years or more at the usual doctor-recommended dose has found that this use did not increase their risk of fracture. The results were published in the January 1, 2004, issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The study involved more than 133,000 patients as well as more than 191,000 age-matched controls whose average age was 81. After a four-year follow-up, there were 9,624 new cases of fracture of either the hip or lower extremities. However, researchers found that the rate of fracture associated with the use of inhaled or nasal corticosteroids during the four-year period was no different between the two groups. There had been concerns about the safety of long-term use of steroids and its potential for increasing fracture risk. Investigators found that only high doses of more than 2,000 mg daily for an average of six years or more was associated with extra risk of fracture.

The study was conducted by researchers from McGill University (Montreal, Canada) and Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York, NY, USA).




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