Prevalence of corticosteroids use and disease course after initial steroid exposure in ulcerative colitis

Abstract

Background: Limited nationwide data currently exists regarding corticosteroid (CS) use and long-term outcome after CS initiation in ulcerative colitis (UC).

Aims: The purpose of this study was to assess CS use prevalence and long-term outcomes after the index CS exposure. Our outcomes of interest were CS use level (reintroduction, dependency, and refractoriness), thiopurine use, and colectomy.

Methods: Nationwide data was obtained from the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system for the period 2001-2011. Patients with UC were included if they had been diagnosed in the VA system and if they had filled CS for the first time during the observation period. A retrospective cohort design and time-to-event survival analysis was used to track outcomes of interest.

Results: A total of 1,038 newly-diagnosed patients with UC were identified. The prevalence of CS use over the observation period was 45 %. Four hundred sixty-four CS users with median follow-up of 3.4 years were included. Among the included patients, 65 % required CS reintroduction, 38 % were classified as CS dependent, and 11 % were classified as CS refractory mostly within 2 years after the index CS course. Respectively, 8.6 and 38 % had colectomy and received thiopurine. Colectomy and thiopurine use rates varied significantly according to CS use level.

Conclusions: Approximately half of newly-diagnosed patients with UC required CS. Among CS users, one third of the patients had a sustained response after the initial CS course while two-thirds required further CS therapy. We observed a trend towards higher than previously reported thiopurine use accompanied by marked reduction in colectomy rates.