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  • Title: Combination therapy of bronchial asthma.
    Author: Nelson HS.
    Journal: Allergy Asthma Proc; 2001; 22(4):217-20. PubMed ID: 11552671.
    Abstract:
    For treatment of moderate and severe persistent asthma the National Heart Lung Blood Institute (NHLBI) Guidelines offer the alternative of moderately high doses of inhaled corticosteroids alone or a lower dose of inhaled corticosteroids combined with a long-acting bronchodilator. Three classes of drugs qualify for the combination with inhaled corticosteroids. They are long-acting beta-agonists, leukotriene receptor antagonists, and sustained-release theophylline. Each class of drug has been shown, when combined with inhaled corticosteroids, to provide equal or better asthma control than a higher dose of inhaled corticosteroids alone. Direct comparisons indicate that, of the three classes, the long-acting beta-agonists are the most effective. Furthermore, initial concerns regarding their masking airway inflammation appear to be unfounded, because when combined with inhaled corticosteroids, the long-acting beta-agonists further decrease both the frequency and the severity of asthma exacerbations and appear to have some modulating effect on airway inflammation.
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