ASSOCIATION BETWEEN LONG-TERM USAGE OF DIFFERENT DOSAGES OF INHALED GLUCOCORTICOSTEROIDS AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Abstract

<b>Introduction.</b> Data on the effect of inhaled glucocorticosteroids (IGCS) on the physical development of children remain controversial. <br><b>Aim.</b> The aim of the study was to assess the dose-dependent effect of IGCS on the anthropometric parameters of children with bronchial asthma (BA). <br><b>Patients and methods.</b> The centile method was used to assess the physical development of 50 children with BA. Group I included 21 patients who received low/medium doses of IGCS, and group II was composed of 29 patients who used medium/high doses of IGCS for BA control. Results. Normal (10-90 percentiles) growth according to the age was observed in the majority of patients of the I (76.9% of cases) and II (72.4% of individuals) groups (p>0.05), despite their long-term use of IGCS. On average, the body mass index (BMI) was within the absolute norm: 19.2±0.6 kg/m² in the I group and 21.3±0.7 kg/m² in the II group (p<0.05). Overweight (BMI>25 kg/m²) was recorded in 13.8% of patients in the II group and in 4.8% of children in the I group (p>0.05). <br><b>Conclusion.</b> The negative impact of the long-term use of IGCS, even in high doses, on growth and body weight of the asthmatic children was not confirmed. Statistically significant associations of obesity and short stature with prolonged usage of medium-high or high doses of IGCS was not found: the relative risk of excessive body weight was 1.4 (95% CI: 0.17-11.97), while the relative risk of short stature was 1.3 (95% CI: 0.15-11.89).