Primary and secondary prophylaxis to the use of inhaled glucocorticoid in primary health care.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the extent of inhaled glucocorticoid (IGC) treatment in general and to what extent general practitioners (GPs) manage the risk of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

METHOD

A questionnaire was sent to all 3,617 GPs in Denmark.

RESULTS

The results are divided into criteria for recommending prophylaxis with calcium and vitamin D for patients in actual IGC treatment, routine examinations for osteoporosis before starting asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment with IGC, and criteria for starting anti-osteoporotic treatment (bisphosphonates + calcium + vitamin D) for patients in IGC treatment. A total of 535 questionnaires were eligible for evaluation and covered almost 25% of the Danish population. In general, the questionnaires documented that physicians do not use primary nor secondary prophylaxis in their patients treated with IGC with or without risk factors of osteoporosis.

CONCLUSION

More studies are warranted to verify the effects of IGC treatment on bone health and the importance of prophylaxis to prevent osteoporosis in IGC-treated patients before outlining specific recommendations for the management of the disease.