Inhaled corticosteroids and the risk of new-onset arterial hypertension in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Aim: To examine the risk of new-onset arterial hypertension associated with accumulated doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Materials and methods: We conducted a nationwide observational cohort study based on data from Danish outpatients with COPD between 1 January 2010 and 31 October 2017. Patients with no previous history of arterial hypertension or use of antihypertensive medication were followed for 7 years, until death or a prespecified hypertension event. A propensity-matched Cox model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for new-onset arterial hypertension.Results: A total of 36,260 patients were included, of whom 3,960 (11 developed arterial hypertension during the study period. The risk of arterial hypertension for low, medium and high dose ICS (compared to no ICS use) was: HR 1.076, (1.073-1.078), P lt;. 0001; medium-ICS: HR 1.087, (1.082-1.091),~P lt;.0001; high-ICS: HR 1.092, (1.090-1.095), P lt;. 0001.Conclusions: In patients with COPD, ICS use was associated with a statistically significant but not clinically meaningful increased risk of new-onset arterial hypertension. These data do not suggest changes in ICS prescription patterns in patients with no prior history of hypertension.FootnotesCite this article as Eur Respir J 2022; 60: Suppl. 66, 1507.This article was presented at the 2022 ERS International Congress, in session textquotedblleft-textquotedblright.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).