Orlando—Inhaled corticosteroids have been assumed to have little systemic effects, but a new Dutch study suggests that might not actually be true. Researchers from the University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, report evidence that use of inhaled corticosteroids in women appears to lead to higher body mass index and greater likelihood of metabolic syndrome. The presentation at the Endocrine Society’s 99th annual meeting in Orlando, based on a survey of more than 15,000 corticosteroid users, suggests that use of the medications for asthma, allergies, and other respiratory conditions be more carefully monitored, especially in women already at risk for the metabolic syndrome cluster, including increased waistline, increased blood pressure, increased levels of fasting blood glucose and/or triglycerides, and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol.

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