BONE-MINERAL DENSITY IN ASTHMATIC WOMEN ON HIGH-DOSE INHALED BECLOMETHASONE DIPROPIONATE

Inhaled corticosteroids are the cornerstone of the modern therapy for asthma. In recent years, inhaled corticosteroids have been used in hig her doses than previously. This has caused concern about possible oste oporotic side-effects. We studied bone mineral densities (BMDs) in 19 non-smoking women (mean age 53 years, range 40-63) with newly diagnose d bronchial asthma and 19 voluntary healthy nonsmoking women (mean age 53 years, range 43-67). In both groups, 13 subjects were postmenopaus al. Patients started beclomethasone dipropionate from the spacer 500 m u g twice daily as the sole corticosteroid therapy. BMDs were mea sure d with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at the lumbar spine (L2 -4) and at the left proximal femur (the neck, Ward's triangle and the trochanteric region). The measurements were made at baseline and 6 and 12 months thereafter. No significant changes were observed in the mea sured BMDs in either study group. The results show that inhaled beclom ethasone dipropionate therapy 1000 mu g/day for one year does not affe ct BMD. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of inhaled 'c orticosteroid on BMD during a longer treatment period.