Effect of orally administered beclomethasone dipropionate on calcium absorption from the gut in normal subjects.

Abstract

Background-There is evidence that patients with chronic obstructive airways disease and asthma who take inhaled steroids have a low bone density. As most of a drug given from a metered dose inhaler is actually swallowed, the possibility that swallowed beclomethasone dipropionate acts topically in the gut to impair calcium absorption was investigated. Such

Glucocorticosteroid-induced osteoporosis in adult primiparous Göttingen miniature pigs: effects on bone mineral and mineral metabolism

“…Our observation is in accordance with a 12% reduction of calcium absorption in normal volunteers within 2 wk of GC treatment (57), and with patients receiving pharmacological doses of prednisone (15-100 mg/day), when calcium absorption correlated inversely with the dose of GC (30). The authors suggested that acute calcium malabsorption in GC-treated patients was the result of an abnormality of vitamin D metabolism because the administration of a physiological dose of synthetic 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 stimulated calcium absorption in all patients (30).…”

Calcium supplements lower bone resorption after renal transplant

“…Other factors that may impair calcium absorption include immunosuppressant medication. Although not observed in the present study, daily corticosteroid use has been associated with calcium malabsorption (37, 38). Only six patients were steroid‐free, and this may have potentially led to type II error and the inability to observe such a relationship.…”

Biochemical markers of bone metabolism and calciuria with inhaled budesonide therapy

“…Because systemic glucocorticoids decrease gastrointestinal absorption of calcium and increase renal calcium excretion, secondary hyperparathyroidism develops to maintain calcium balance and to maintain serum calcium. Smith et al [22] showed that beclomethasone causes a decrease in calcium absorption from the gastrointestinal tract via a topical effect. We suggest that inhaled budesonide caused a similar decrease in gastrointestinal calcium absorption in our study, and although it did not have any systemic effects, hypocalcuria developed via a renal compensatory mechanism to maintain the serum calcium balance.…”