Mild bronchial asthma: a modern treatment concept

Abstract

Mild bronchial asthma (BA) occurs in 50–75% of patients with this disease. It is characterized by clinical symptoms that are controlled by low doses of inhaled glucocorticoids (IGCS) or anti-leukotriene drugs. Mild BA reduces the quality of life of patients, is accompanied by the development of severe, in some cases fatal exacerbations, and is characterized by a significant cost of treatment. One of the main problems in the management of patients with this disease is their low adherence to IGCS treatment and the excessive use of short-acting 2-adrenomimetic agents. Several clinical studies have shown that the use of a combination of budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort® Turbuhaler®) in an «as needed» mode reduces the incidence of severe exacerbations of mild BA as well as low doses of budesonide, and is characterized by a lower cumulative dose of this glucocorticoid. The results obtained were the basis for the creation of a new treatment concept, which gives preference to the combination of IGCS / formoterol «as needed» in mild BA as a supporting therapy, and for the management of symptoms of the disease.