Inhaled Glucocorticoid Use and the Risk of Osteoporosis in Asthmatic Patients

Introduction: Many recent studies have focused on the possible role of corticosteroid inhalation in osteoporosis in asthmatic patients. Aim: This study aimed to determine whether the indicators of bone formation or resorption are different between asthmatic patients and healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: To achieve this outcome, 21 middle-aged patients with mild to moderate asthma treated with inhaled corticosteroid and the same number of healthy individuals matched for age (38 ± 6.5 years) were enrolled in this study by accessible sampling. All the subjects were non-trained and non-smokers. The serum levels of osteocalcin (OC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and cross-linked telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX) were measured to assess and compare bone formation and resorption between the two groups. An independent-sample t test was used to compare all variables between the patients with asthma and the healthy subjects. Results: Significant differences in body weight and other anthropometrical markers were not observed between the two groups (p > 0.05). Serum osteocalcin level was borderline significantly lower in the asthmatic patients than in the healthy subjects (p = 0.051). The ALP level was significantly lower (p = 0.021) but the serum CTX levels were higher in the asthmatic patients than in the healthy subjects (p = 0.014). Conclusion: On the basis of these findings, inhaled corticosteroid can affect bone turnover in asthmatic patients, although more research is needed to further explore any potential link between corticosteroids and osteoporosis.