Oral Corticosteroids: the Incidence of Glaucoma and Cataracts in COPD

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A Retrospective Cohort Study into the Relationship between Oral Corticosteroids and the Incidence of Glaucoma and Cataracts in COPD Patients.

• IRAS ID

  181834

• Contact name

  Stephen Robert Chapman

• Contact email

  s.r.chapman@keele.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Eve Hill Medical Practice

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 10 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Oral corticosteroids (OCS) are frequently used in COPD (a respiratory disease) to treat flare-up symptoms, often through short OCS courses kept at home by patients. This can result in multiple short courses being used without the closer monitoring associated with patient-doctor consultations. Such use, could potentially be increasing rates of already recognised corticosteroid side-effects of glaucoma and cataracts amongst COPD patients. This study will determine the nature of this relationship and will quantify the risk from OCS, by determining the incidence of glaucoma and cataracts in COPD patients. This subject has not been explicitly investigated before and the study will potentially help define the risk to COPD patients of glaucoma and cataracts from taking repeated short courses of OCS.
  The study is in three cohorts/groups and will look at patient’s records between September 2013 and September 2015. The three groups are as follows:
  A) COPD patients taking oral and inhaled corticosteroids.
  B) COPD patients using inhaled corticosteroids only.
  C) Patients without respiratory disease and no history of corticosteroid use.
  The three cohorts will be matched for age, sex, weight, ethnicity, smoking status and GP practice, so that each patient is in a group of three with corresponding patients in cohorts B and C. The EMISweb GP system will be used to identify suitable patients from Dudley CCG, where the study is being undertaken. The system will also determine if the patient was taking steroids when diagnosed and the patient’s previous history of corticosteroid use, in order to determine if these factors also affect glaucoma and cataract development. The study is funded through Keele University and Dudley CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) and is being undertaken as part of a Pharmacy degree (MPharm).

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  15/YH/0331

• Date of REC Opinion

  10 Jul 2015

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion