Table 1 Conditions listed as cautions to the use of oral corticosteroids in the British National Formulary and the number (proportion) of incident cases of bullous pemphigoid with a record for each caution within specified timelines. Presented alongside the recruitment status associated with having that condition when considering a clinical trial involving 0.5 mg/kg oral prednisolone

Total incident cases

237

Diabetes mellitus

Any time before

55 (23.2%)

Recruit with caution

Diverticulitis

In 1 year before

0

Possible

Epilepsy

Any time before

12 (5.1%)

Possible

Glaucoma

Any time before

16 (6.8%)

Recruit with caution

Heart failure

Any time before

43 (18.1%)

Recruit with caution

Hypertension

Any time before

159 (67.1%)

Possible

Hypothyroidism

Any time before

30 (12.7%)

Possible

Intestinal anastomosis

In 6 months before

1 (0.4%)

Unlikely

Malignancy (excluding BCC)

In 5 years before

23 (9.7%)

Possible

Myasthenia gravis

Any time before

1 (0.4%)

Possible

Myocardial infarction

In 6 months before

3 (1.3%)

Recruit with caution

Myopathy

Any time before

1 (0.4%)

Recruit with caution

Ocular herpes simplex

Any time before

1 (0.4%)

Unlikely

Osteoporosis

Any time before

38 (16.0%)

Recruit with caution

Peptic ulcer

In 1 year before

2 (0.8%)

Recruit with caution

Septicaemia/sepsis

In 3 months before

3 (1.3%)

Unlikely

Severe mental illness

In 10 years before

1 (0.4%)

Recruit with caution

Systemic sclerosis

Any time before

0

Possible

Venous thromboembolic disorders

Any time before

19 (8.0%)

Possible

Tuberculosis

Any time before

3 (1.3%)

Unlikely

Ulcerative colitis

In 5 years before

2 (0.8%)

Possible

Varicella zoster vaccine

In 3 months before

4 (1.7%)

Recruit with caution