Effect of Inhaled Glucocorticoids in Childhood on Adult Height

Inhaled glucocorticoids are the recommended therapy for persistent asthma in children.1 In prepubertal children, however, the use of inhaled glucocorticoids has been shown to reduce growth velocity, resulting in a linear growth reduction of 0.5 to 3.0 cm (approximately 1 cm on average) during the first few years of therapy.2?4 This reduction has been reported for low-to-medium doses, but the degree of reduction is dependent on the type of inhaled glucocorticoid and the delivery method.5?9 Although growth velocity returns to normal within a few years after the initiation of inhaled glucocorticoid therapy (resulting in a deficit in height . . .