BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the cornerstone of asthma pharmacotherapy and, acting via the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), reduce inflammatory gene expression. While this is often attributed to a direct inhibitory effect of the GR on inflammatory gene transcription, corticosteroids also induce the expression of anti-inflammatory genes in vitro. As there are no data to ...

The addition of an inhaled long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) to an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) gives optimal control of asthma in most patients and two fixed combination inhalers (salmeterol/fluticasone and formoterol/budesonide) are increasingly used as a convenient controller in patients with persistent asthma. There is a strong scientific rationale for the combination of these two drug class...

The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness, safety and health economics of budesonide/formoterol maintenance and a novel reliever therapy with conventional best practice in patients with persistent asthma in Canada. After 2 weeks of usual therapy, 1,538 patients were randomised for 6 months to open-label budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy 160/4.5 microg tw...

OBJECTIVES To determine whether the dose of inhaled corticosteroids can be stepped down in patients with chronic stable asthma while maintaining control. DESIGN One year, randomised controlled, double blind, parallel group trial. SETTING General practices throughout western and central Scotland. PARTICIPANTS 259 adult patients with asthma receiving regular treatment with inhaled corticost...

INTRODUCTION Although corticosteroid therapy for asthma improves lung function and reduces airway inflammation, the relation between these two events is unclear. This article investigates associations between changes in bronchial inflammation and lung function during high-dose inhaled corticosteroid therapy for asthma. METHODS Nine subjects with atopic asthma received high-dose inhaled flutic...

Introduction  Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs) are the most common drugs for the control of asthma. This study was conducted to evaluate usage patterns, satisfaction with and concerns about MDIs for children with asthma and the related factors from the viewpoints’ of their parents. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on children with asthma who referred to asthma and a...

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis is a common disease that occurs comorbidly in patients with chronic inflammatory airway diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). However, the prevalence of osteoporosis in patients with ACOS has not widely been evaluated. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of osteoporosis and its relationshi...

T he management of asthma consists of the regular use of anti-inflammatory medications and an action plan for worsening of symptoms or an asthma exacerbation. Guidelines for the treatment of asthma have recommended doubling the dose of maintenance inhaled corticosteroids for deteriorations in asthma control that are not responding to b agonist rescue treatment in the usual manner. 2 Although th...