Protective orbs of light surrounding person with COPD

Breathe Easier: How Inhalers Can Be Your Ally Against Pneumonia in COPD

Jordan Keane in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover the surprising role of inhaled corticosteroids in reducing in-hospital mortality for COPD patients battling pneumonia."

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a long-term lung condition affecting millions worldwide. Characterized by airflow obstruction, COPD makes breathing difficult and increases susceptibility to respiratory infections. Pneumonia, a serious lung infection, is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality in COPD patients.

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are a class of medications commonly prescribed for COPD. These medications reduce inflammation in the airways, helping to improve breathing and prevent exacerbations (flare-ups). However, some studies have suggested a potential downside: an increased risk of pneumonia with ICS use. This has led to ongoing debate about the overall impact of ICS on COPD patients.

A recent study published in the International Journal of COPD sheds light on this complex issue. Researchers investigated the association between outpatient ICS therapy and in-hospital mortality from pneumonia in COPD patients. The findings challenge previous assumptions and offer a new perspective on the role of ICS in managing COPD.

The Study: ICS and Pneumonia Mortality

Protective orbs of light surrounding person with COPD

The study, conducted using a Japanese national database, retrospectively analyzed data from over 7,000 COPD patients admitted to hospitals with pneumonia. The researchers divided patients into two groups: those who were receiving ICS combined with long-acting inhaled bronchodilators (IBD) and those who were receiving IBD alone. They then compared in-hospital mortality rates between the two groups, adjusting for various factors such as age, sex, disease severity, and other health conditions.

The results revealed a significant difference: the ICS with IBD group had a considerably lower in-hospital mortality rate (8.1%) compared to the IBD alone group (13.2%). This suggests that outpatient therapy with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting bronchodilators was associated with decreased mortality from pneumonia in patients with COPD.

Key findings from the research include:

Patients receiving ICS with IBD had significantly lower in-hospital mortality rates.
The ICS with IBD group were more likely to be older, have a lower body mass index, poorer general conditions and more severe pneumonia than the IBD alone group.
Factors associated with higher mortality included older age, being male, lower body mass index, poorer general status, and more severe pneumonia.

These results suggest that ICS may offer protective benefits against pneumonia-related mortality in COPD patients. This contradicts some earlier studies that suggested ICS increased the risk of pneumonia. The protective effect may be due to the anti-inflammatory properties of corticosteroids, which can help reduce the severity of the inflammatory response in the lungs during a pneumonia infection.

What This Means for COPD Patients

The study's findings offer a reassuring message for COPD patients and their healthcare providers. While the potential risk of pneumonia with ICS use has been a concern, this research suggests that the benefits of ICS in reducing mortality during pneumonia may outweigh the risks. However, it's crucial to remember that this study highlights an association, not a causation. Individual patient factors, disease severity, and other health conditions play a significant role in determining the best course of treatment.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.2147/copd.s107985, Alternate LINK

Title: Effect Of Outpatient Therapy With Inhaled Corticosteroids On Decreasing In-Hospital Mortality From Pneumonia In Patients With Copd

Subject: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Journal: International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Authors: Yasuhiro Yamauchi, Hideo Yasunaga, Wakae Hasegawa, Yukiyo Sakamoto, Hideyuki Takeshima, Taisuke Jo, Hiroki Matsui, Kiyohide Fushimi, Takahide Nagase

Published: 2016-06-01

Everything You Need To Know

How might inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) play a role in COPD patients who develop pneumonia?

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are medications commonly used in COPD to reduce airway inflammation and prevent flare-ups. Some research indicates they might offer a protective effect against pneumonia-related mortality in COPD patients. The anti-inflammatory properties of corticosteroids could reduce the severity of the inflammatory response in the lungs during a pneumonia infection, potentially improving outcomes for COPD patients hospitalized with pneumonia. It is important to note, however, that further research is needed to fully understand this relationship.

What were the main methods and findings of the study on inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and pneumonia mortality in COPD patients?

The study, conducted using a Japanese national database, compared COPD patients receiving inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) combined with long-acting inhaled bronchodilators (IBD) to those receiving IBD alone. The key finding was that the ICS with IBD group had a significantly lower in-hospital mortality rate from pneumonia (8.1%) compared to the IBD alone group (13.2%). The study suggests ICS may offer protective benefits against pneumonia-related mortality in COPD patients, but factors like age, sex, disease severity, and other health conditions were adjusted for in the analysis.

How does this research change our understanding of the risks versus benefits of using inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in COPD?

While some previous studies suggested that inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) might increase the risk of pneumonia in COPD patients, this research found that ICS may be associated with decreased mortality from pneumonia. This suggests that the benefits of ICS in reducing mortality during pneumonia may outweigh the risks. However, it's important to consider individual patient factors, disease severity, and other health conditions when determining the best course of treatment.

Besides ICS use, what other factors influence the outcome of COPD patients admitted to the hospital with pneumonia?

The study identified several factors associated with higher mortality in COPD patients hospitalized with pneumonia, including older age, being male, lower body mass index, poorer general status, and more severe pneumonia. These factors highlight the complexity of managing COPD patients with pneumonia and the need for individualized treatment plans that consider a patient's overall health status and disease severity. The findings suggest that focusing on improving the general health of the patient and treating the pneumonia more aggressively, especially in the presence of these risk factors, may improve outcomes.

Does this research definitively prove that inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) reduce mortality from pneumonia in COPD patients?

The study's findings suggest an association between inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and reduced in-hospital mortality from pneumonia in COPD patients. The results do not prove that ICS directly cause the reduction in mortality. Factors like individual patient characteristics, COPD severity, adherence to treatment, and variations in hospital care practices could all influence the outcomes. Further research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to establish a causal relationship and to determine which COPD patients are most likely to benefit from ICS in the context of pneumonia.