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Oral corticosteroid use, morbidity and mortality in asthma : A nationwide prospective cohort study in Sweden

Ekström, Magnus LU orcid ; Nwaru, Bright I. ; Hasvold, Pål ; Wiklund, Fredrik ; Telg, Gunilla and Janson, Christer (2019) In Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 74(11). p.2181-2190
Abstract

Background: Patterns and determinants of long-term oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in asthma and related morbidity and mortality are not well-described. In a nationwide asthma cohort in Sweden, we evaluated the patterns and determinants of OCS use and risks of OCS-related morbidities and mortality. Methods: Data for 217 993 asthma patients (aged ≥ 6 years) in secondary care were identified between 2007 and 2014 using Swedish national health registries. OCS use at baseline was categorized: regular users (≥5 mg/d/y; n = 3299; 1.5%); periodic users (>0 but <5 mg/d/y; n = 49 930; 22.9%); and nonusers (0 mg/d/y; n = 164 765; 75.6%). Relative risks of becoming a regular OCS user and for morbidity and mortality were analysed using... (More)

Background: Patterns and determinants of long-term oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in asthma and related morbidity and mortality are not well-described. In a nationwide asthma cohort in Sweden, we evaluated the patterns and determinants of OCS use and risks of OCS-related morbidities and mortality. Methods: Data for 217 993 asthma patients (aged ≥ 6 years) in secondary care were identified between 2007 and 2014 using Swedish national health registries. OCS use at baseline was categorized: regular users (≥5 mg/d/y; n = 3299; 1.5%); periodic users (>0 but <5 mg/d/y; n = 49 930; 22.9%); and nonusers (0 mg/d/y; n = 164 765; 75.6%). Relative risks of becoming a regular OCS user and for morbidity and mortality were analysed using multivariable Cox regression. Results: At baseline, 24% of asthma patients had used OCS during the last year and 1.5% were regular users. Of those not using OCS at baseline, 26% collected at least one OCS prescription and 1.3% became regular OCS users for at least 1 year during the median follow-up of 5.3 years. Age at asthma diagnosis, increasing GINA severity and Charlson Comorbidity Index were associated with regular OCS use. Compared to periodic and non-OCS use, regular use was associated with increased incidence of OCS-related morbidities and greater all-cause mortality, adjusted HR 1.34 (95% CI 1.24-1.45). Conclusions: Oral corticosteroids use is frequent for asthma patients, and many are regular users. Regular OCS use is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. These findings indicate that there is a need of other treatment options for patients with severe asthma who are using regular OCS.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
asthma, corticosteroids, morbidity, mortality
in
Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
volume
74
issue
11
pages
2181 - 2190
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85067469697
  • pmid:31095758
ISSN
0105-4538
DOI
10.1111/all.13874
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e32713fc-636c-42a5-97c0-91f3548d4ca9
date added to LUP
2019-07-05 13:33:03
date last changed
2024-06-12 23:56:07
@article{e32713fc-636c-42a5-97c0-91f3548d4ca9,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Patterns and determinants of long-term oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in asthma and related morbidity and mortality are not well-described. In a nationwide asthma cohort in Sweden, we evaluated the patterns and determinants of OCS use and risks of OCS-related morbidities and mortality. Methods: Data for 217 993 asthma patients (aged ≥ 6 years) in secondary care were identified between 2007 and 2014 using Swedish national health registries. OCS use at baseline was categorized: regular users (≥5 mg/d/y; n = 3299; 1.5%); periodic users (&gt;0 but &lt;5 mg/d/y; n = 49 930; 22.9%); and nonusers (0 mg/d/y; n = 164 765; 75.6%). Relative risks of becoming a regular OCS user and for morbidity and mortality were analysed using multivariable Cox regression. Results: At baseline, 24% of asthma patients had used OCS during the last year and 1.5% were regular users. Of those not using OCS at baseline, 26% collected at least one OCS prescription and 1.3% became regular OCS users for at least 1 year during the median follow-up of 5.3 years. Age at asthma diagnosis, increasing GINA severity and Charlson Comorbidity Index were associated with regular OCS use. Compared to periodic and non-OCS use, regular use was associated with increased incidence of OCS-related morbidities and greater all-cause mortality, adjusted HR 1.34 (95% CI 1.24-1.45). Conclusions: Oral corticosteroids use is frequent for asthma patients, and many are regular users. Regular OCS use is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. These findings indicate that there is a need of other treatment options for patients with severe asthma who are using regular OCS.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ekström, Magnus and Nwaru, Bright I. and Hasvold, Pål and Wiklund, Fredrik and Telg, Gunilla and Janson, Christer}},
  issn         = {{0105-4538}},
  keywords     = {{asthma; corticosteroids; morbidity; mortality}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{2181--2190}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology}},
  title        = {{Oral corticosteroid use, morbidity and mortality in asthma : A nationwide prospective cohort study in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/all.13874}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/all.13874}},
  volume       = {{74}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}