As per a latest study, inhaled steroids have the ability to bring great improvements in the overall care and management of patients suffering from asthma. The findings of this study was revealed by Stanley Szefler, M.D., lead author on the paper and Head of Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology at National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

Szefler said that patients may respond differently when administered with inhaled steroids and other therapies may be considered if low to medium doses of inhaled steroids fail to offer clear benefits to them.

The study was conducted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes Asthma Clinical Research Network and was able to found that low to medium dosages of inhaled steroids are generally more than enough to improve functions of the lungs in patients with persistent asthma.

From News.Bio-Medicine.Org:

“Dr. Szefler recommends that doctors whose patients do not respond with low to medium doses of inhaled steroids consider supplementing them with non-steroidal medications, such as long-acting beta agonists and leukotriene modifiers, before prescribing high doses of inhaled steroids. When high doses of steroids are used for several years, they may be associated with an increased risk for adverse effects, such as osteoporosis, cataracts and glaucoma. However, higher doses of inhaled steroids may still be needed to help some patients control their asthma, said Dr. Szefler. He advises doctors to monitor any patients taking high doses to determine whether the benefits outweigh the risk for adverse effects. The new findings indicate that benefits vary widely for individual patients.

The research team studied 30 patients with persistent asthma. The patients received three different doses of an inhaled steroid, each administered for six weeks at a time. The researchers examined two inhaled steroids in this study, fluticasone propionate (FloventTM), and beclomethasone dipropionate (VancerilTM) both in the canister form along with a spacer device. They evaluated benefits primarily by measuring lung function and airway sensitivity. Cortisol levels were measured to gauge the effect of the inhaled steroid on the body’s normal function and the risk for adverse effects.

To the research teams surprise, eight of the 21 patients (38%) who completed all lung function tests showed less than a 5% increase in lung function at any dose, much less than expected. Five (23%) had a 5% to 15% percent increase in lung function, while eight (38%) had more than 15% improvement in lung function. A similar degree of variability in response was shown for the change in measures of airway sensitivity.”

It was suggested by the study that patients who have been taking high doses of inhaled steroids need to be monitored to determine whether the benefits of such high doses outweigh risks for adverse effects.

This initial study is considered to be quite important as it was able to highlight considerable variations in responses to the medications. Along with this, the study also prompted a whole new research area that has the ability to improve asthma management.

Tags: Asthma, asthma management, asthma patients, Inhaled steroids, persistent asthma, steroids

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