A Paradigm Shift for Asthma Care.

Abstract

Asthma remains a substantial health burden, despite continued treatment advances. Patients with mild or moderate asthma, even those with intermittent symptoms, are at risk for severe or fatal exacerbations. Use of short-acting beta2-agonist (SABA)-only rescue therapy is associated with an increased risk of exacerbations, beginning at about the second fill annually. Systemic corticosteroids have shortterm and long-term adverse effects, and long-term adverse effects are driven by cumulative lifetime doses starting at 0.5 to 1.0 g. Expert opinion on the use of SABA only for rescue therapy differs, but recent evidence suggests that a fast-acting bronchodilator combined with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is more effective at reducing the risk of exacerbations than SABA alone. There is a window of opportunity just prior to an asthma exacerbation during which use of fast-acting bronchodilator + ICS may play a significant role in mitigating the risk of exacerbation. Patients may respond better to a combination inhaler of a fast-acting bronchodilator and an ICS as needed for rescue therapy or as part of a maintenance and rescue therapy paradigm, rather than attempting to use separate inhalers. However, there is currently no fixed-dose, fast-acting bronchodilator + ICS approved in the United States for as-needed use.