ArticleBMJ (Clinical research ed.)1996
Use of oral corticosteroids in the community and the prevention of secondary osteoporosis: a cross sectional study.
Article in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 1996. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 89 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
89 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 385 citations in OpenAlex.
- European Society of Endocrinology and Endocrine Society Joint Clinical Guideline: Diagnosis and Therapy of Glucocorticoid-induced Adrenal Insufficiency.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2024Guideline
- Evidence based Latin American Guidelines of clinical practice on prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment of glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis. A 2022 update : This manuscript has been produced under the auspices of the Committee of National Societies (CNS) and the Committee of Scientific Advisors (CSA) of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF).Aging clinical and experimental research · 2022Pooled it
- Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: an update of Brazilian Society of Rheumatology (2020).Archives of osteoporosis · 2021Pooled it
- Prevalence and factors associated with glucocorticoids (GC) use in systemic sclerosis (SSc): a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies and registries.Clinical rheumatology · 2014Pooled it
- Systematic review of trends in prophylaxis of corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis: the need for standard audit guidelines.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2008Pooled it
- Risks and benefits of preoperative high dose methylprednisolone in surgical patients: a systematic review.Drug safety · 2000Pooled it
- Effects of low-dose prednisolone on hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and abdominal adiposity in patients with inflammatory rheumatologic disease.Diabetes care · 2013Trial
- Trial
- Intermittent intravenous ibandronate injections reduce vertebral fracture risk in corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis: results from a long-term comparative study.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2003Trial
- Adverse effects of oral corticosteroids in relation to dose in patients with lung disease.Thorax · 2001Trial
- Cyclical etidronate increases bone density in the spine and hip of postmenopausal women receiving long term corticosteroid treatment. A double blind, randomised placebo controlled study.Annals of the rheumatic diseases · 1998Trial
- Association Between Preoperative Steroid Use and Short-Term Outcomes Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Nationwide Analysis Using the National Clinical Database.Annals of gastroenterological surgery · 2026Article
- Revisiting the safety of short-term systemic corticosteroids.Biomedical journal · 2026Review
- Potential mechanisms of the glucocorticoid withdrawal syndrome.European journal of endocrinology · 2026Review
- Outcomes and readmissions after cardiac surgery in patients with chronic steroid use: a nationwide propensity score matched analysis.Journal of cardiothoracic surgery · 2025Article
- Increased risk of postoperative pancreatic fistula in patients with chronic steroid usage undergoing pancreatectomy.Surgery today · 2025Article
- Treatment Persistence and Variations in Prescribing Oral, Injectable, and Inhaled Corticosteroids: A Population-Based Drug Utilisation Study.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2025Article
- Update on the Complications and Management of Liver Cirrhosis.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- EndoCompass Project: Research Roadmap for Adrenal and Cardiovascular Endocrinology.Hormone research in paediatrics · 2025Review
- Tau(t)ing glucocorticoid binding.Cell research · 2025Article
29 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo determine the prevalence of continuous use of oral steroids in the general population, the conditions for which they are prescribed, and the extent to which patients taking oral steroids are taking treatment to prevent osteoporosis.
designA cross sectional study with a four year retrospective review of drug treatment.
settingEight large general practices in central and southern Nottinghamshire. SUBJECTS: A population of 65,786 patients (52% women) registered with a general practitioner during 1995.
results303 patients (65% (197) women) aged 12-94 years were currently taking "continuous" (for at least three months) oral corticosteroid treatment. This figure represents 0.5% of the total population and 1.4% (245/17 114) of patients aged 55 years or more (1.7% (166/9601) of women). The usual steroid was prednisolone (97% (294/303)), the mean dose was 8.0 mg/day, and the median duration of oral steroid treatment determined in 149 patients was three years. The most common conditions for which continuous oral steroids were prescribed were rheumatoid arthritis (23% (70)), polymyalgia rheumatica (22% (66)), and asthma or chronic obstructive airways disease (19% (59)). Only 41 (14%) of the 303 patients taking oral steroids had received treatment for the prevention of osteoporosis over the past four years. Although 37 of the 41 patients were women, only 10% (18/181) of the women over 45 years taking continuous oral corticosteroids were currently taking hormone replacement therapy.
conclusionsIf our figures are typical then they suggest that over 250,000 people in the United Kingdom are taking continuous oral steroids and that most of these are taking no prophylaxis against osteoporosis.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.