THURSDAY, Jan. 20, 2005 (HealthDayNews) -- Combining an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-lasting beta2-agonist seems to provide consistent relief for people with asthma, says a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
The study of 2,760 asthma patients found that this budesonide/formoterol combination therapy resulted in a 45 percent lower exacerbation rate. The treatment also reduced overall severe exacerbation levels, a delay in exacerbations requiring medical attention, better lung function, reduced awakenings at night due to asthma, and improved symptom control.
The Canadian-led study was conducted at 246 centers in 22 countries.
"Our study is the first to show that a high-maintenance dose of the ICS budesonide is not necessary to reduce the incidence of first and repeated severe exacerbations requiring medical intervention," researcher Dr. Paul M. O'Byrne, of McMaster University Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.
"The risk of severe exacerbations requiring medical intervention was reduced by 45 percent with budenoside/formoterol [bud/form] maintenance and relief compared with patients using a fourfold higher maintenance dose of budenoside with a short-acting beta2-agonist for relief. Moreover, the time to second and third exacerbations was significantly prolonged with bud/form for maintenance and relief..." O'Byrne added.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about asthma.
