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Press Room About AAAAI Media Resources Diseases 101 Statistics Annual Meeting Pollen Counts Recent Highlights from the JACI News Release Archive Samter Journalism Award Contact Us		JACI Highlights - February 2006 Fuhlbrigge et al – Cost-effectiveness of inhaled steroids in asthma: Impact of effect on bone mineral density National guidelines recommend inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) as first-line therapy in persistent asthma. Yet, widespread non-adherence on the part of physicians and patients to these guidelines persists. This may be due, in part, to concerns about the safety of ICS. The link between ICS use and potential changes in Bone Mineral Density (BMD) has not been established with certainty because studies have yielded conflicting results. Therefore, the aim of the study by Fuhlbrigge and colleagues in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology was to assemble the existing evidence and provide guidance about the appropriateness of ICS therapy in persistent disease. They found that although the economic attractiveness of ICS therapy is dependent on assumptions regarding the impact of ICS on BMD and resultant fracture rate, ICS therapy in mild/moderate asthma compares favorably with commonly accepted interventions, over a wide range of assumptions regarding this treatment. Because of the potential impact of high doses of ICS over prolonged periods, risk can be minimized by utilizing the lowest effective dose and by identifying high-risk individuals for appropriate intervention.   <back>
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