Steroids Help Diseased Lungs Breath Easier

ISLAMABAD : While inhaled steroids undoubtedly help patients with asthma, doctors have seesawed on whether these drugs are useful for a common lung problem called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Now, a new report suggests that such treatment -- particularly at high doses -- does, in fact, help patients breath better.

COPD encompasses a variety of lung diseases, the most common being emphysema and bronchitis. The condition is strongly tied to smoking and is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the US.

Dr. E. R. Sutherland, from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, and colleagues analyzed data from 8 studies to determine if inhaled steroids improved the breathing of COPD patients. Each trial lasted at least 2 years and nearly 4000 patients were included in the analysis.

The results are reported in medical journal Thorax.

Over time, COPD patients usually experience a drop in their ability to move air in and out of their lungs. The researchers found that treatment with inhaled steroids slowed the rate at which this ability fell. Moreover, the benefits were greatest when high steroid doses were used.

The researchers conclude that these findings suggest a potential role for inhaled steroids in modifying the natural course of COPD. An accompanying editorial describes the current study as a welcome addition to the work on inhaled steroids in patients with COPD. New studies should concentrate on the optimal steroid dose, when steroids should be started, and what other drugs work best with steroids, the editorial notes.