PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bronwyn Berthon
AU  - Lesley MacDonald-Wicks
AU  - Peter Gibson
AU  - Lisa Wood
TI  - Changes in body composition are associated with corticosteroid use in adult asthma
DP  - 2013 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P706
VI  - 42
IP  - Suppl 57
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P706.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P706.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2013 Sep 01; 42
AB  - IntroductionObesity and asthma have been strongly linked. Body fat distribution varies by gender and disease state. Corticosteroids, the mainstay of asthma pharmacotherapy, may be a risk factor for obesity. The impact of corticosteroids on regional body composition in asthma is unknown.Aims and objectivesTo explore relationships between inhaled and oral corticosteroid use, body composition and clinical asthma outcomes in adults with asthma.MethodsCross-sectional study of adults with stable asthma (n=42, age 52yrs ±14(SD), BMI 29.8 ±5.9(SD)), at the John Hunter Hospital Newcastle, Australia. Demographic details and corticosteroid dose over 2 years were collected; spirometry and airway responsiveness to hypertonic saline and body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (GE, Lunar) were measured.ResultsIn regression analyses controlled for age, gender and BMI, current inhaled corticosteroid dose was positively associated with total body % fat, gynoid region % fat and thoracic region % fat (p=0.021, p=0.009, p=0.050), and negatively associated with total body % lean, gynoid region lean tissue and thoracic lean tissue (p=0.029, p=0.036, p=0.050). Oral corticosteroid dose over 2 years was positively associated with gynoid region % fat (p=0.009) and negatively associated with gynoid region lean tissue (p=0.032).ConclusionsUse of corticosteroids in adults with asthma is associated with detrimental effects on body composition, including increased fat, decreased lean and regional tissue composition changes, which may contribute to adverse clinical outcomes. This suggests the need for targeted interventions to increase muscle and reduce fat mass in those on higher corticosteroid regimes.