Unregistered User If this is not your name, click here.
		Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague
	Select a ChannelAcneAIDS and HIVAllergy OtherAlzheimer'sAnaesthesiology OtherAngina Pectoris/MIAnxietyArthritis OtherAsthmaBack PainBacterial InfectionsBladder CancerBone Marrow TransplantationBreast CancerCardiology OtherCataractCell TransplantationCervical CancerCholesterol/Lipid disordersCirrhosisClinical PharmacologyColorectal CancerCongestive Heart FailureContact DermatitisContraceptionCOPDCystic FibrosisDental and Oral DisordersDepressionDermatology OtherDiabetesDialysisEating DisordersElbowEmergency MedicineEndocrinology OtherEpilepsyErectile DysfunctionFibromyalgiaGastro OtherGeneticsGenitourinary OtherGeriatricsGERD/GastritisGlaucomaH. Pylori/UlcerHaematology OtherHair LossHeadachesHepa/Biliary OtherHepatitisHipHRTHypertensionIBDImmunologyInfectious OtherInfertilityIntensive CareIrritable Bowel SyndromeKneeLeukemiasLiver CancerLung CancerLupusLymphomasMelanomaMenopauseMultiple Sclerosis Nephrology OtherNeurologic OtherNutritional / Metabolic OtherOb/Gyn OtherObesityOncology OtherOphth. OtherOphthalmic SurgeryOrgan TransplantationOrthopaedics OtherOsteoarthritisOsteoporosisOtitisOtorhino. OtherOvarian CancerPaediatricsPainPancreatic CancerParkinson'sPregnancyProstate CancerPsychiatry OtherPulmonary OtherRadiologyRenal CancerRenal FailureRespiratory InfectionsRheumatoid arthritisRheumatology OtherRhinitisSchizophreniaShoulderSleep ApnoeaSleep DisordersSpineStrokeSTDsSurgeryThyroid DisordersTransfusionTransplant Surgery OtherTraumaUrinary IncontinenceUrinary tract infectionsVaccinologyVascular DisordersViral Infections

SEARCH   News Bookstore Medline The Web Meetings & Congresses Complete Doctor's Guide    EXPLORE :    All News   All Webcasts   All Cases   All Meetings & Congresses   All Medical Resources New drugs / indications English Dictionary Medical Dictionary Thesaurus Warning | Privacy | Awards  Favourite Journals  Click here to choose your favourite journals  Favourite Sites  Click here to choose your favourite sites  Languages  Select languageEnglishFrançais

Benefits of Inhaled Corticosteroids for COPD May Be Overstated NORTHBROOK, Ill -- February 4, 2010 -- Inhaled corticosteroids are widely used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, research published in the February issue of the journal CHEST suggests that inhaled corticosteroids may only provide a modest benefit in reducing exacerbations in patients with COPD. For the study, Ritesh Agarwal, MD, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 11 studies (comprising 8,164 patients) that reported the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids versus placebo in the prevention of COPD exacerbations. The use of inhaled corticosteroids was associated with a modest reduction in the occurrence of exacerbations, with a subgroup analysis revealing only a benefit in patients with a forced expiratory volume in 1 second < 50%. Upon further analysis using meta-regression, the researchers found no demonstrable linear relationship between the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids and prevention of COPD exacerbation that was related to the level of stable lung function. “There is only a modest benefit of inhaled corticosteroids in preventing COPD exacerbations, which is not related to the level of baseline lung function on meta-regression analysis,” the authors wrote. “The benefits of inhaled corticosteroids in preventing COPD exacerbations thus seem to be overstated.” The researchers concluded that the role of inhaled corticosteroids in preventing COPD exacerbations warrants reexamination. SOURCE: American College of Chest Physicians E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version