The risks of inhaled corticosteroid withdrawal in COPD treatment

Previous trials on triple therapy inhaler use (ETHOS and IMPACT) were understood to show a reduction in mortality in COPD patients. However, a reanalysis published in Thorax shows that this benefit may have been misattributed. Host Dr. Kate Diomede is joined by the paper's authors, pharmacist Kari Leung¹ and physician Prof. Aroon Hingorani², both members of the ​North Central London Joint Formulary committee. Read the paper: Inhaled corticosteroid withdrawal and mortality rate in trials of triple therapy inhalers for COPD Further reading: Withdrawal of fluticasone propionate from combined salmeterol/fluticasone treatment in patients with COPD causes immediate and sustained disease deterioration: a randomised controlled trial 1. UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK 2. University College London, London, UK Please engage in the conversation through the social media channels (Twitter - @ThoraxBMJ; Facebook - Thorax.BMJ) and subscribe on your preferred platform, to get the latest episodes directly on your device each month. We would love to hear your thoughts on the podcast, you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.