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Asthma in adults - Highlights

Description

An in-depth report on how asthma is diagnosed, treated, and managed in adults.

Highlights:

FDA Panel Votes to Ban Two Asthma Drugs

In December 2008, an FDA advisory panel voted to ban two long-acting beta2-agonists drugs, salmeterol (Serevent) and formoterol (Foradil), for treatment of asthma in children and adults. These drugs can increase the risk of asthma death unless used in combination with an inhaled steroid. The FDA panel decided that salmeterol-fluticasone (Advair) and formoterol-budesonide (Symbicort), which combine two drugs in a single inhaler, can remain on the market. At the time of this report, the FDA had not yet made a final decision.

FDA Advisory: Montelukast (Singulair)

In 2008, the FDA recommended that patients who take montelukast (Singulair), or other leukotriene antagonist drugs, be monitored for signs of behavioral and mood changes, and signs of suicidal thoughts.

Asthma Guidelines

The U.S. National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma recommend:

  • Assessment and Monitoring. Doctors should use multiple measures to determine a patientâ ' s current condition and future risk for worsening of condition. Even patients who show few daily effects of asthma may be in danger of sudden worsening of symptoms.
  • Patient Education. Patients should be taught skills to self-monitor and manage asthma. Doctors should give patients a written asthma action plan, which includes information on daily treatment and ways to recognize worsening asthma.
  • Control of Environmental Factors and Other Asthma Triggers. The guidelines outline new approaches for reducing exposure to allergens. They also address how treating co-existing chronic conditions (such as rhinitis, sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux, and obesity) can help improve asthma control.
  • Medications. A stepwise approach is recommended where medication types and doses are increased or decreased based on the level of asthma control.

Resources

References

American Lung Association. Trends in asthma morbidity and mortality. American Lung Association Epidemiology & Statistics Unit Research and Program Services. November 2007.

Bateman E, Nelson H, Bousquet J, Kral K, Sutton L, Ortega H, Yancey S. Meta-analysis: effects of adding salmeterol to inhaled corticosteroids on serious asthma-related events. Ann Intern Med. 2008 Jul 1;149(1):33-42. Epub 2008 Jun 3.

Fanta CH. Asthma. N Engl J Med. 2009 Mar 5;360(10):1002-14.

Kukkonen K, Savilahti E, Haahtela T, Juntunen-Backman K, Korpela R, Poussa T, et al. Probiotics and prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides in the prevention of allergic diseases: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 Jan;119(1):192-8. Epub 2006 Oct 23.

National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma Update on Selected Topics -- 2002. Rockville, MD. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2003. NIH publications 02-5074.

National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Rockville, MD. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2007. NIH publications 08-4051.

Rowe BH, Spooner CH, Ducharme FM, Bretzlaff JA, Bota GW. Corticosteroids for preventing relapse following acute exacerbations of asthma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jul 18;(3):CD000195.

Salpeter SR, Buckley NS, Ormiston TM, Salpeter EE. Meta-analysis: effect of long-acting beta-agonists on severe asthma exacerbations and asthma-related deaths. Ann Intern Med. 2006 Jun 20;144(12):904-12.

Schatz M, Dombrowski MP. Clinical practice. Asthma in pregnancy. N Engl J Med. 2009 Apr 30;360(18):1862-9.

Slavin RG, Haselkorn T, Lee JH, Zheng B, Deniz Y, Wenzel SE; TENOR Study Group. Asthma in older adults: observations from the epidemiology and natural history of asthma: outcomes and treatment regimens (TENOR) study. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2006 Mar;96(3):406-14.

Vliagoftis H, Kouranos VD, Betsi GI, Falagas ME. Probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma: systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008 Dec;101(6):570-9.

  • Reviewed last on: 6/1/2009
  • Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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