Abstract

Background Long-term oral corticosteroid (OCS) treatment for severe asthma is known to cause significant adverse effects, but knowledge on effects of lower exposures in general asthma populations is limited. We aimed to explore this in a nationwide Danish asthma population.

Methods Users of asthma medication aged 18–45 years were identified in the Danish nationwide registers during 1999–2018 and followed prospectively in an open-cohort design. Incident OCS users were matched 1:4 to nonusers by propensity scores with replacement. Associations between OCS use and incident comorbidities were examined by Cox regression. Mortality rates, causes of death and rates of unscheduled hospital visits were assessed.

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