European journal of internal medicine
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Oct 2024
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Pragmatic Clinical TrialLong-term inhaled corticosteroid treatment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, and a recent hospitalised exacerbation: The ICSLIFE pragmatic, randomised controlled study.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently have cardiovascular comorbidities, increasing the risk of hospitalised COPD exacerbations (H-ECOPDs) or death. This pragmatic study examined the effects of adding an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) to long-acting bronchodilator(s) (LABDs) in patients with COPD and cardiac comorbidities who had a recent H-ECOPD. ⋯ Results suggest addition of ICS to LABDs did not reduce the time-to-combined rehospitalisation/death, although it decreased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. ICS use was not associated with an increased risk of adverse events, particularly pneumonia.