• Sölve Elmståhl, Henrik Ekström, Olof Johnell, Maria Gerhardsson de Verdier, and Ensio Norjavaara.
• Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. solve.elmstahl@smi.mas.lu.se
• Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2006 Jul 1; 15 (7): 527-35.

PurposePostmenopausal women treated with corticosteroids are regarded as a high-risk group due to the effect of both natural bone loss and possible adverse effects of treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (IC).ObjectiveTo compare bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women exposed only to IC (IC group, n = 106) with that of BMD in women not exposed to corticosteroids (n = 124) and women exposed to oral and/or intra-articular injections in addition to inhaled corticosteroids (OC group, n = 31). The women were recruited from a population-based prospective cohort study.MethodsDual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) technique was used to measure BMD in whole body, spine, pelvis and lower extremities. A health questionnaire and an interview about past and present medication use were used.ResultsThe mean duration and dose of IC were 9.5 +/- 4.5 years and 615 microg daily. Whole body BMD did not significantly differ between the IC group (1.103 g/cm(2)) and the unexposed group (1.087 g/cm(2)). Within the IC group, BMD stratified for cumulative dose of IC, duration or current dose above or below 800 microg did not differ. Z-score BMD for tertiles did not differ when comparing the IC and OC groups.ConclusionNo difference in BMD was noted between postmenopausal women exposed to inhaled corticosteroids and unexposed controls nor was there any dose response relationship between inhaled corticosteroid therapy and BMD.Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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