Do inhaled corticosteroids adversely influence glucose metabolism.

Glucocorticoids have been the mainstay of therapy of asthma because of their antiinflammatory action. They have potential for many adverse effects, especially with continued use. However, the inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have a better safety profile than the oral steroids. In view of the long term requirement for ICS in childhood asthma, there have been lots of investigations on the adverse effects in the growing children. The major areas of concern have been the local side-effects due to the deposition of the ICS aerosol in the oropharynx and the upper airway, effects due to the absorption of the ICS which may lead to systemic effects on growth, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and on various metabolic pathways. The documented effects on the growth are minimal. Similarly, the suppression of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis with low doses of ICS is minimal.