August M
Millions rely on inhalers every day to control asthma symptoms. But new research is prompting fresh questions about the long-term impact of some steroid-based treatments. One British columnist has shared her experience after discovering an unexpected health complication.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Jenni Murray described how a recent CT scan revealed previously undetected spinal damage. Although she had broken her T8 vertebra three years ago, she later learned that the T7 vertebra beneath it had also collapsed.
Murray, who has lived with asthma since childhood, said she had used a steroid inhaler for decades to manage her condition. It was only when her doctor asked about her inhaler use that she began to understand a possible link.
“They may have kept me safe from a lethal asthma attack all these years, but I didn’t know there was a potentially grave consequence to taking them,” she wrote, reports LADbible.
Bone health concerns
Steroid inhalers are commonly prescribed to reduce inflammation in the airways and prevent asthma attacks. They differ from reliever inhalers, which are used to ease symptoms during an attack.
According to Murray, her doctor warned that such medications can be “bad for your bones” and may increase brittleness over time.
Research from the University of Nottingham, published in the journal Thorax and cited by LadBible, found an association between steroid treatments for asthma and a higher risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures.
The study reported a “clear association between both cumulative dose and number of courses of inhaled or steroid tablets and the risk of osteoporosis or fragility fractures.”
Study findings
Researchers found that patients prescribed two to three courses of steroid tablets within a year faced increased odds of developing osteoporosis. Those receiving nine or more prescriptions, with cumulative doses of 2,500 mg or higher, had more than four times the risk compared to those not using the drugs.
The study also indicated that patients with 11 or more inhaled steroid prescriptions were 60 per cent more likely to develop osteoporosis and 31 per cent more likely to experience fragility fractures.
Those whose cumulative inhaled dose exceeded 120 mg in a year were found to be 20 per cent more likely to suffer such fractures.
Health experts stress that patients should not stop prescribed treatments without medical advice. Anyone concerned about long-term steroid use is encouraged to consult their doctor about monitoring bone health and reviewing medication options.
Sources: LadBible, Daily Mail, University of Nottingham, Thorax
