Is there an association between steroid creams and osteoporosis?

Recently released study data found that higher doses of topical corticosteroids, such as those often used to treat inflammatory skin disorders, are tied to increased risks for osteoporosis and bone fractures associated with osteoporosis. Based on data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, the report was published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

The study included 129,682 patients with osteoporosis and 34,999 patients with major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) and matched them with 518,728 and 139,996 control participants (without osteoporosis or MOF) by sex and age.

Clear dose-response relationships between long-term use of topical corticosteroids and osteoporosis and MOF were noted. The researchers found that compared with no doses, low, medium, and high cumulative of topical corticosteroid doses were associated with 1.22-, 1.26-, and 1.34-times higher odds of developing osteoporosis over five years. These respective doses were linked with 1.12-, 1.19-, and 1.29-times higher odds of experiencing MOF, it was said in a press release. Overall, women had higher risks of osteoporosis and MOF than men. Also, patients younger than 50 years of age had a higher risk of osteoporosis compared with other age groups.

“This study emphasizes that using topical corticosteroids to treat inflammatory skin conditions should be done very carefully and clinicians should be aware of these potential side effects,” said corresponding author Chia-Yu Chu, MD, PhD, of National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine.