Inhaled corticosteroids v placebo for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease*
| Weighted event rates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcomes at 6 weeks to 3 years | Corticosteroids | Placebo | RRI (95% CI) | NNH |
| Vertebral fracture | 1.3% | 0.73% | 67% (–54 to 512) | Not significant |
| Weighted means | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Corticosteroids | Placebo | Weighted mean difference (CI) | |
| Change in BMD | 1.21% | 1.20% | 0.02% (–0.08 to 0.11) |
| Parathyroid hormone (mcg/l)† | 10.5 | 18.0 | –7.5 (–16 to 0.73) |
| PICP (mcg/l)† | 128.5 | 117.0 | 11.6 (–3.1 to 26) |
| Urinary hydroxyproline (μmol/l GF)† | 1.6 | 1.7 | –0.08 (–0.53 to 0.37) |
| Alkaline phosphatase (IU/l)† | 43 | 54 | –11 (–25 to 3.3) |
| Standardised mean difference (CI) | |
|---|---|
| *BMD = bone mineral density; PICP = C-terminal propeptide of type-one pro collagen. Other abbreviations defined in glossary; weighted events, RRI, NNH, and CI calculated from data in article using a fixed effects model. No mean differences were statistically significant. | |
| †Means and mean differences not weighted. | |
| Osteocalcin | –0.34 (–0.72 to 0.04) |