Use of high-dose intermittent systemic glucocorticoids and the risk of fracture in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by persistent airflow obstruction and respiratory symptoms. While short course systemic GCs are prescribed in patients with acute COPD exacerbations, little is known of the risk of fractures with intermittent exposure to high-dose GC and the effect of proxies of disease severity.

METHODS: A case-control study was conducted using the Danish National Hospital Discharge Registry (NHDR) between January 1996 to December 2011. Conditional logistics regression models were used to derive adjusted odds ratios (OR) risk of fractures in subjects with COPD stratified by intermittent high-dose, and proxies of disease severity.

RESULT: A total of 635,536 cases and the same number of controls were identified (mean age 67.5 ± 13.8, 65% female). COPD patients with intermittent use of high average daily dose oral glucocorticoids did not have an increased risk of any, osteoporotic, hip or clinically symptomatic vertebral fracture compared to non-COPD patients (adj. OR 0.65; 95% CI: 0.50-0.86, 0.70; 95% CI: 0.70-0.99, 1.17; 95% CI: 0.59-2.32, 1.98; 95% CI: 0.59-6.65 respectively). We identified an elevated risk of osteoporotic fracture among patients who visited the emergency unit (adj. OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.20-1.79) or were hospitalised in the past year for COPD (adj. OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.66-1.85). Current GC use among COPD patients was associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic, hip and clinically symptomatic vertebral fractures compared to patients without COPD.

CONCLUSION: Intermittent high-dose GCs was not associated with an increased risk of any, osteoporotic, hip or clinically symptomatic vertebral fractures in patients with COPD. Current GC use was however associated with an increased risk of hip and clinically symptomatic vertebral fractures. Therefore, emphasis on prophylactic treatment of fractures may not be essential in patients with COPD receiving intermittent dose of GCs, whereas this should be considered for high-dose long-term users with advanced COPD disease stage, postmenopausal women and men over 40 years.