Burden of Chronic Oral Corticosteroid Use by Adults with Persistent Asthma

Chronic oral corticosteroid (C-OCS) use in asthma is an indicator of disease severity, but its risk factors are largely unknown.

To describe patient characteristics and disease burden associated with C-OCS use by adults with persistent asthma.

We identified 9546 patients aged 18 to 64 years in a large managed care organization who met the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set 2-year criteria (2009-2010) for persistent asthma. A subgroup had blood eosinophil counts. We calculated cumulative OCS dispensed per patient in 2010 and examined the distribution of disease characteristics by average daily amounts of OCS dispensed. C-OCS use was defined as 2.5 mg/d or more. Baseline factors (2010) associated with C-OCS use during follow-up (2011) were investigated by multivariable Poisson regression.

At baseline, 782 (8.2%) patients were C-OCS users. Compared with patients who received no or less than 2.5 mg/d OCS, C-OCS users were older and more often female and ethnic minorities; and had more comorbidities, asthma specialist care, greater step-care level, controllers, asthma exacerbations, and greater blood eosinophil counts (all P < .01). Baseline factors significantly associated with C-OCS use in the follow-up year included (1) demographic characteristics: older age, females, blacks versus whites, and whites versus others/unknown ethnicities; (2) disease burden: more asthma emergency department or hospitalization visits, greater step-care level, excessive short-acting β₂-agonist dispensed, theophylline use, asthma specialist care, and nasal polyposis; (3) greater blood eosinophil counts; and (4) most strongly, C-OCS use.

C-OCS use was associated with more asthma burden, comorbidities, and greater blood eosinophil counts. Prior C-OCS use was the strongest predictor of future C-OCS use.