Consequences of long-term oral corticosteroid therapy and its side-effects in severe asthma in adults: a focused review of the impact data in the literature

What is it about?

Corticosteroids are a class of hormones that are involved in a wide range of physiological processes, including immune response and regulation of inflammation. Because of their positive effects in inflammatory diseases, they are often used in the treatment of asthma. Normally, corticosteroids are given in form of an inhalation, which limits their effects to the lungs. In severe asthma, it can be necessary to treat patients with corticosteroid tablets, so that the hormone will be distributed throughout the whole body. This oral application could lead to side effects outside the lungs. In this review, we analyze data on the side effects of long term treatment of severe asthma patients with oral corticosteroids and came to the conclusion, that this therapy – although effective – should be restricted in terms of duration and dose to avoid unnecessary risks for the patients.

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