Systematic review: the effectiveness of budesonide therapy for Crohn's disease.

Summary Aim : To assess the effectiveness and safety of budesonide in comparison to corticosteroids, 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), or placebo for inducing remission of active Crohn's disease and for maintaining remission. Study selection criteria : Randomized controlled trials comparing budesonide to corticosteroids, 5-ASA products or placebo were included. Trials had to report on the effectiveness of treatment (defined as decreasing or maintaining Crohn's Disease Activity Index, CDAI, scores ≤ 150) or adverse events. Data analysis : After assessing the validity of study design and independent, duplicate data extraction from selected trials, summary relative risks (RR) were calculated for each outcome. A test of heterogeneity was also calculated for each outcome using a random effects model. Results : Budesonide was more likely to induce remission than placebo (RR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.15–2.88) or 5-ASA (RR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.26–2.39), although only one trial compared budesonide to 5-ASA products. Although budesonide induced remission less frequently than conventional corticosteroids (RR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.76–0.995), there was no significant difference between conventional corticosteroids and budesonide for inducing remission among patients with a low disease activity (initial CDAI=200–300). Budesonide was significantly less likely to cause corticosteroid-associated adverse events than conventional corticosteroids (RR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.53–0.80). No significant difference in total adverse events or corticosteroid-associated adverse events was demonstrated between budesonide and 5-ASA or placebo. Conclusion : Budesonide is significantly more effective than placebo or 5-ASA for inducing remission of active Crohn's disease. Although budesonide is 13% less effective for the induction of remission in active Crohn's disease than conventional corticosteroids, it is less likely to cause corticosteroid-related adverse effects. Budesonide is... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]