Prolonged inhaler exposure may heighten risk of pneumonia

Washington, February 12: According to a new study, long-term exposure to corticosteroid inhalers can put patients with chronic obstructive pulmonarydefine disease (COPD) at a greater risk of pneumonia.

Researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine concluded this finding after conducting 18 randomized clinical trials on 17,000 COPD patients to study incidences of pneumonia.

Corticosteroid inhalers are very effective in relieving COPD symptoms and thus, are widely used. But the study findings link these with an increased risk of contracting pneumonia.

The inhaled steroid combinations of fluticasone/salmeterol is made available by GlaxoSmithKline, marketed under the name of AdvairTM and other combination of budesonide/formoterol is marketed by AstraZeneca under the name SymbicortTM.

The research team studied patients who were exposed to corticosteroid inhalers for at least 24 weeks against those who had opted for placebo; or who took combination of inhaled corticosteroids; and long-acting beta-antagonists patients who used long-acting bronchodilator. They reviewed the occurrence of pneumonia in all the cases.

After 24 weeks of regular use of corticosteroid inhalers alone or in combined form was found linked to considerable elevated risk of pneumonia; as much as 60 to 70 percent more risk was observed. But researchers explained that these forms of inhalers are not associated with death risks.

Researchers quoted their findings as, "Our robust meta-analysis clarifies that the risk of pneumonia reported as a serious adverse event, can be specifically attributed to the long-term use of the inhaled steroid component."

The findings suggest that on an average, one in every 47 COPD patients inhaling corticosteroids for about a year may contract pneumonia.

Chronic obstructive pulmonarydefine disease, basically leads to breathing difficulties and is found to be progressive in nature. Symptoms like coughing, wheezing, chest clogging, mucus and shortness of breath are very commonly observed in COPD.

COPD is mainly caused by cigarette smoking but air pollution, chemical fumes and dust are typical lung irritants whose prolonged exposure may also cause COPD.

More than 16 million people in America suffer from COPD, according to the statistics. The numbers are growing at a disturbing rate each year and many cases often go unnoticed and neglected. Estimates from the Wake Forest show that including the hidden sufferers the actual figure can be over 24 million patients.

The study is published in the February issue of the 'Archives of Internal Medicine'.

However, researchers warned that their findings are related only to patients with COPD and asthma patients should not be considered alongside these.

The research team quoted: "Clinicians should remain vigilant for the development of pneumonia with inhaled corticosteroids, as the signs and symptoms of pneumonia may closely mimic that of COPD exacerbations."