(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Inhaling corticosteroids to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may cause pneumonia, a new study shows.

The lung disease COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, affecting up to 15 million people. Its prevalence is on the rise, but no medicine or treatment other than quitting smoking and oxygen supplementation, have been shown to improve patients’ risk of death.

Johns Hopkins University researchers analyzed information from 11 trials investigating inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy for managing COPD. Five studies showed ICS was not linked to a decreased risk of death after one year. Seven studies reported pneumonia outcomes and revealed ICS increases pneumonia risk by 34 percent.

“Recognizing the adverse events associated with ICS use is especially important, since clinicians may increase ICS therapy from moderate to high doses in patients who are not responding,” study authors wrote. “Until studies can confirm an unequivocal benefit of ICS therapy in a group of patients with COPD, patients should receive the lowest effective ICS dose to minimize potential adverse effects.”

SOURCE: JAMA, 2008;300[20]:2407-2416