A British study published online in the journal Thorax finds that long-term exposure to fluticasone and budesonide may be associated with an increased likelihood of fractures among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The authors conducted a retrospective review of 16 randomized, controlled trials covering 17,513 participants, and 7 observational studies covering 69,000 participants. They found that the use of inhaled corticosteroids was associated with a modest but statistically significant increase in fracture risk. Each 500 µg increase in beclomethasone dose equivalents was associated with a 9 percent increased risk of fractures.
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