Physicians need to observe a high sense of care and caution while dealing with their COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients, according to Lung disease experts at Johns Hopkins.

This finding serves as a reminder to physicians treating COPD patients so that timely and required steps can be taken to avoid pneumonia, which doubles their risk of death, as per lead author and pulmonologist M. Brad Drummond, M.D., M.H.S.

From News-Medical.Net:

Despite the increased pneumonia risk, the team found no clear evidence that the drug therapy also pushes up rates for other steroid-related problems, such as bone fractures, nor was there an increase in deaths.

Senior study investigator and critical care specialist Eddy Fan, M.D., says the results of the analysis should not alarm patients or cause them to stop taking their medications but should spur physicians to screen and monitor their patients to find the lowest possible steroid dose that works, especially in the elderly, people with immune system problems, and people who have had multiple bouts of pneumonia and for whom repeat bacterial infection might be a life-threatening complication.

“Inhaled corticosteroids are not of equal benefit to all, and what we are seeing is that the treatment may be more harmful and pose a greater risk of harm to some,” says Fan, an instructor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

It is believed that approximately 11 million people in the United States alone are affected with COPD every year and most of these patients are past or present-day smokers.