According to a work published in The Cochrane Library this month, there is no evidence to suggest that increasing the dose of inhaled corticosteroids at the onset of an asthma exacerbation as part of a patient-initiated action plan minimizes the need for rescue oral corticosteroids.

Lead researcher Francine Ducharme, who works at the University of Montreal, Canada remarked that keeping to a constant dose has the potential of reinforcing the effectiveness of taking daily inhaled corticosteroids, not only during exacerbations and/or encourage the search for more effective strategies.

From Sciencedaily.com:

There are two mechanisms acting in the lungs of people with asthma. The first is called bronchoconstriction, which is when people’s airways constrict during an asthma attack, making it much harder for them to move air in and out of their lungs. The first line treatment for this sort of acute exacerbation is to try and re-open the airways by inhaling bronchodilator drugs.

The second mechanism involved in asthma is an underlying inflammation in the lungs. This is often treated by a daily dose of inhaled steroids. The amount of inflammation varies, and respiratory virus infections, allergens and other irritants all increase inflammation leading to greater obstruction of the airways. In theory, such increased inflammation could be treated with higher doses of inhaled corticosteroids. There are occasions, however, when the patient does not respond sufficiently to treatment and may need to use rescue oral corticosteroids.

Ducharme also said that more pediatric studies are needed to guide treatment of exacerbations and the best approach would be all about preventing an exacerbation by ensuring regular use of inhaled corticosteroids.

Tags: Asthma, inhaled corticosteroids, oral corticosteroids

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Reduced mortality risk can be noticed in patients afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when they are treated with inhaled steroids.

It was remarked by Christine Macie, MD, FCCP, Cambridge Hospital, Ontario, Canada and author of the study that patients on steroids are relatively better protected than those not making use of them.

From Bio-medicine.org:

“Our results indicate that the effect of inhaled corticosteroids is relatively short-term and that those currently using it are relatively better protected, ” said Dr. Macie. “Inhaled corticosteroids should be prescribed as soon as clinically indicated. By treating COPD with inhaled corticosteroids, we have the potential to reduce the effect and prolong life.”

“The findings from this study are intriguing for clinicians and point to the need for further research to define the role and mechanisms of the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on both cardiovascular and respiratory mortality,” said W. Michael Alberts, MD, FCCP, President of the ACCP.

Dr. Macie also remarked that inhaled corticosteroids could be highly effective to prolong lives of patients with COPD.

Tags: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, inhaled corticosteroids, steroids

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According to Lung disease experts at Johns Hopkins, physicians treating their patients afflicted with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) need to observe extra caution while dealing with them.

It was remarked by lead author and pulmonologist M. Brad Drummond, M.D., M.H.S. that this finding has implications and serves a reminder to COPD patients so that they could take necessary preventive steps for avoiding pneumonia, which doubles their risk of death.

From News-Medical.Net:

Despite the increased pneumonia risk, the team found no clear evidence that the drug therapy also pushes up rates for other steroid-related problems, such as bone fractures, nor was there an increase in deaths.

Senior study investigator and critical care specialist Eddy Fan, M.D., says the results of the analysis should not alarm patients or cause them to stop taking their medications but should spur physicians to screen and monitor their patients to find the lowest possible steroid dose that works, especially in the elderly, people with immune system problems, and people who have had multiple bouts of pneumonia and for whom repeat bacterial infection might be a life-threatening complication.

“Inhaled corticosteroids are not of equal benefit to all, and what we are seeing is that the treatment may be more harmful and pose a greater risk of harm to some,” says Fan, an instructor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

As many as 11 million Americans are afflicted with COPD every year and a big majority of this population belongs to the category of past or present-day smokers.

Tags: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, corticosteroids, inhaled corticosteroids, pneumonia, steroid

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Patients afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD can be effectively treated and experienced reduced mortality risk when treated with inhaled corticosteroids, as per a study appearing in the CHEST, which is a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

COPD patients who make use of inhaled corticosteroids benefit from improved survival rates as per Christine Macie, MD, FCCP, Cambridge Hospital, Ontario, Canada and author of this study.

From Bio-medicine.org:

“Our results indicate that the effect of inhaled corticosteroids is relatively short-term and that those currently using it are relatively better protected, ” said Dr. Macie. “Inhaled corticosteroids should be prescribed as soon as clinically indicated. By treating COPD with inhaled corticosteroids, we have the potential to reduce the effect and prolong life.”

“The findings from this study are intriguing for clinicians and point to the need for further research to define the role and mechanisms of the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on both cardiovascular and respiratory mortality,” said W. Michael Alberts, MD, FCCP, President of the ACCP.

COPD patients administered with inhaled steroids are relatively in a better position than those not using it, as per Dr. Macie. It was also revealed in the study that cardiovascular related deaths were reduced by as much as 38% and a 25% reduced all-cause mortality rate was noticed among patients administered with inhaled corticosteroids within thirty days of discharge from the hospital.

Tags: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, inhaled corticosteroids, steroids

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Reduced mortality risk is experienced in patients with COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) who are administered with inhaled corticosteroids. This finding was disclosed in a study published in the CHEST, peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

It was said by Christine Macie, MD, FCCP, Cambridge Hospital, Ontario, Canada and author of the study that inhaled corticosteroids are effective in prolonging lives of patients with COPD.

From Bio-medicine.org:

“Our results indicate that the effect of inhaled corticosteroids is relatively short-term and that those currently using it are relatively better protected, ” said Dr. Macie. “Inhaled corticosteroids should be prescribed as soon as clinically indicated. By treating COPD with inhaled corticosteroids, we have the potential to reduce the effect and prolong life.”

“The findings from this study are intriguing for clinicians and point to the need for further research to define the role and mechanisms of the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on both cardiovascular and respiratory mortality,” said W. Michael Alberts, MD, FCCP, President of the ACCP.

COPD patients who are using inhaled corticosteroids are relatively better protected than those not making use of them, as per Dr. Macie.

Tags: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, inhaled corticosteroids

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Asthma management is easy and effective with inhaled corticosteroids when compared with sodium cromoglycate besides helping in normal functioning of the lungs, as per a study.

The dominance of inhaled corticosteroids increase with moderate low doses when compared to low doses, according to Dr James Guevara, Department of Pediatrics at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine in Philadelphia and lead review author of this study.

From News.Bio-Medicine.org:

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and sodium cromoglycate (SCG) are both used to help people with asthma. SCG is believed to have a low risk of causing long-term side effects, but despite anxieties relating to routine use of steroids, the use of ICS has steadily increased since the 1990s.

While they are both known to work, there has previously been a debate as to whether one is superior to the other.

By pooling data from randomized controlled trials that directly compared the effects of ICS and SCG the Cochrane Review Authors could assess the relative benefits of each. They considered measures of lung function, asthma control and the use of general healthcare services such as GPs and hospitals.

Their conclusion was that ICS controls asthma better than SCG and that it also leads to improved lung function. They were, however, unable to decide whether there were differences in side-effects as most of the trials ran for too short a time to assess long-term outcomes.

“The superiority of ICS over SCG appears to increase when patients use moderate doses of ICS, compared with when low doses of ICS are used,” says lead Review Author Dr James Guevara, who works in the department of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

It was concluded by Dr Guevara that inhaled corticosteroids are a better option for asthmatic patients than sodium cromoglycate when it comes managing the disease.

Tags: Asthma, inhaled corticosteroids, sodium cromoglycate, steroids

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Adults and children afflicted with asthma can exercise better control over the disease with inhaled corticosteroids than with cromolyn, according to a study conducted by James Guevara, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and colleagues.

The researchers made comparisons between inhaled corticosteroids and cromolyn to find the better between the two for providing relief to patients with asthma.

From News.Bio-Medicine.Org:

Cromolyn’s manufacturer has changed several times during the past two decades, which may also explain why the drug’s popularity has waned, Storms said. The succession of companies “did not spend one dollar in research in the past 20 years to study cromolyn. All of the data are old and most are forgotten,” he said.

The Cochrane reviewers examined 17 studies involving 1279 children and eight studies involving 321 adults with asthma. They found no differences in serious side effects between those using the steroids and those using cromolyn, but acknowledge that adverse effects were reported inconsistently.

Guevara and colleagues conclude that inhaled corticosteroids were superior to cromolyn regardless of the severity of the asthma. They suggest the results are so decisive that future studies comparing the two types of drugs “may not be warranted.”

It was revealed by the study that adults and children with asthma and treated with inhaled steroids experienced three fewer severe asthma flare-ups each year on an average and made less use of asthma inhalers when compared to asthma patients treated with cromolyn.

Tags: Asthma, cromolyn, inhaled corticosteroids, Inhaled steroids, steroids

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Some children with asthma may not be able to derive the same benefits with inhaled corticosteroids as other asthmatic children, as per a new study presented at the American Thoracic Society.

It was found in a study of 914 children with mild to severe asthma that children reporting consistent use of inhaled steroids were 20 percent less likely to report having well-managed asthma than those not using any kind of inhaled steroids, over a period of one year.

From News-Medical.Net:

Several studies of adults with asthma have suggested that even rigorous use of inhaled steroids doesn’t lead to well controlled asthma in all adults, Dr. Sawicki noted. “But this issue hasn’t been looked at closely in children,” he said. “Further studies are needed to see what is different about children who don’t respond to steroids, to see if there is a way to predict whether a child will respond to inhaled steroids.”

Of the 914 children in the study, inhaled steroids were recommended for 435 who had persistent asthma, meaning they had symptoms on a regular basis. Among children who weren’t recommended for inhaled steroid treatment, most reported well-controlled asthma. Among those recommended for inhaled steroid treatment, 44% reported consistently using the medicine; 35% said they intermittently used the medicine and 21% said they didn’t use it at all.

“The majority of children with mild asthma are less likely to have symptoms as they get older and may not need to be on daily steroids,” Dr. Sawicki said. “The flip side is that if a child has poor asthma control, the parents and doctor need to make sure the child is adhering to their inhaled steroid treatment. But variation in response to inhaled steroids, as other medications, is well described.”

The data comes from the Child Asthma Management Program Continuation Study (CAMPCS), one of the largest groups of children with mild to moderate asthma in the nation who were followed for a period of over ten years.

Tags: Asthma, corticosteroids, inhaled corticosteroids, Inhaled steroids, steroids

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According to a new study presented at the American Thoracic Society, some children suffering from asthma may find it difficult to keep their asthma under control with inhaled corticosteroids.

In a study of 914 children with mild to severe asthma, it was found that children who reported consistent use of inhaled steroids were 20 percent less likely to report having well-controlled asthma compared with those not using any inhaled steroids, over a period of one year.

From News-Medical.Net:

Several studies of adults with asthma have suggested that even rigorous use of inhaled steroids doesn’t lead to well controlled asthma in all adults, Dr. Sawicki noted. “But this issue hasn’t been looked at closely in children,” he said. “Further studies are needed to see what is different about children who don’t respond to steroids, to see if there is a way to predict whether a child will respond to inhaled steroids.”

Of the 914 children in the study, inhaled steroids were recommended for 435 who had persistent asthma, meaning they had symptoms on a regular basis. Among children who weren’t recommended for inhaled steroid treatment, most reported well-controlled asthma. Among those recommended for inhaled steroid treatment, 44% reported consistently using the medicine; 35% said they intermittently used the medicine and 21% said they didn’t use it at all.

“The majority of children with mild asthma are less likely to have symptoms as they get older and may not need to be on daily steroids,” Dr. Sawicki said. “The flip side is that if a child has poor asthma control, the parents and doctor need to make sure the child is adhering to their inhaled steroid treatment. But variation in response to inhaled steroids, as other medications, is well described.”

Researcher Gregory Sawicki, M.D. of Children’s Hospital in Boston said that some children may be genetically less responsive than others to steroids.

The data comes from the Child Asthma Management Program Continuation Study (CAMPCS), one of the largest groups of children with mild to moderate asthma in the nation who have been followed over a period of 10 years.

Tags: Asthma, corticosteroids, inhaled corticosteroids, Inhaled steroids, steroids

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Patients with COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and being administered with inhaled corticosteroids experienced lower mortality risk than their counterparts not on steroids, as per a new study published in the CHEST, peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

It was remarked by Christine Macie, MD, FCCP, Cambridge Hospital, Ontario, Canada and author of this study that COPD patients on corticosteroids benefit from longer survival durations.

From Bio-medicine.org:

“Our results indicate that the effect of inhaled corticosteroids is relatively short-term and that those currently using it are relatively better protected, ” said Dr. Macie. “Inhaled corticosteroids should be prescribed as soon as clinically indicated. By treating COPD with inhaled corticosteroids, we have the potential to reduce the effect and prolong life.”

“The findings from this study are intriguing for clinicians and point to the need for further research to define the role and mechanisms of the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on both cardiovascular and respiratory mortality,” said W. Michael Alberts, MD, FCCP, President of the ACCP.

Dr. Macie also said that patients on inhaled corticosteroids are relatively better positioned to stay protected than those not using them.

Tags: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, inhaled corticosteroids, steroids

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