Glucocorticosteroids Associated With a Decreased Risk of... : Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (original) (raw)

Brief Reports

Laan, Wijnand PhD*; Smeets, Hugo MSc*; de Wit, Niek J. MD, PhD*; Kahn, René S. MD, PhD†; Grobbee, Diederick E. MD, PhD*; Burger, Huibert MD, PhD*‡

From the *Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, and †Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht; and ‡Department of Epidemiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Psychiatric Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Received November 11, 2008; accepted after revision March 6, 2009.

Reprints: Wijnand Laan, PhD, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands (e-mail: [email protected]).

Abstract

The hypothesis that chronic inflammation may play a role in psychosis receives increasing attention. In this study, we aim to investigate whether the use of steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is associated with a decreased risk of psychosis.

A longitudinal nested case-control study was performed investigating the association of glucocorticosteroid (GCS) consumption with a new diagnosis of a psychotic disorder. Significantly reduced odds ratios of 0.52 (95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.75) were found for GCS in men only (odds ratio in women, 0.84 [95% confidence interval, 0.590-1.20]). Similar risk reductions were present for the inhaled and systemic GCSs. A dose-response relationship was present. Our finding of an inverse relation between GCS consumption and new psychotic episodes may promote further research into inflammation in schizophrenia.