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Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of lung airways resulting in episodic airflow obstruction causing considerable morbidity in paediatric population. The main objective of the study was to find out whether addition of long acting beta agonists to steroids provides better asthma control.Methods: This randomized controlled trial study was performed in children aged 6-15 years of age, with clinically stable and moderate persistent asthma.Results: The findings of this study indicate SABA use in Budesonide/formoterol group patients was significantly less compared to budesonide group patients (1.5±1.1 v/s 2.13±0.9, p-value 0.01). Both groups experienced decrease in night time symptoms and acute exacerbations however there was no significant difference between the two groups in these variables.Conclusions: This study showed addition of LABA to inhaled steroids in moderate persistent asthma provided better asthma control and LABA is mainly recommended to be used as add-on therapy for patients whose asthma is not controlled on low to high doses of inhaled corticosteroids.
ABSTRACT
Background:Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of lung airways resulting in episodic airflow obstruction. Aims: The main objective of this study is tofind the effect of antiasthma medication on serum IgE levels and blood eosinophil count.Study Design:Thisrandomizedcontrolled trial studywas performed in children aged 6-15 years of age, with clinically stable and moderate persistent asthma.Results:The findings of this study indicate both group(Budesonide/formoterol group and budesonide group) patients experienced a significant decrease in serum IgE levels and blood eosinophil counts over the study period.However, the difference in two groups was not statistically significant.Conclusions:Inhaled steroids are effective in controlling systemic inflammation in asthma as evidenced by a decrease in IgE levels and eosinophil counts. However addition of LABA doesn’t have any additive effect.
ABSTRACT
Los esteroides inhalados son la base del tratamiento del asma bronquial en niños. El crecimiento infantil es el parámetro más sensible a los efectos adversos de los esteroides. Esta revisión concentra la más reciente información en relación a esta modalidad terapéutica. Sólo se consideraron estudios de al menos un año de duración vs placebo y con mediciones estadiométricas periódicas: La Beclometasona a 400/mcg/día administrada tanto por vía nasal como oral, mostro una diferencia de talla de 1-1,5 cm vs controles. Budesonida (polvo seco), 400mcg/día administrada durante 4-6 años mostró una diferencia similar a la encontrada con beclometasona, persistiendo hasta los 21 años de edad (efecto más evidente en el sexo femenino). Fluticasona CFC en preescolares, a dosis de 100 mcgs BID y dos años de tratamiento (aerochamber), mostro idénticos resultados a los anteriores. No se detectó recuperación del crecimiento en niños menores de 2 años o de peso menor a 15 kg, al año de descontinuarse el tratamiento. Mometasona en polvo seco a 200 mcg/día vs placebo y por un año,en niños escolares,mostró similar diferencia a lo mencionado anteriormente para los otros esteroides Ciclesonida HFA,a 40 mcg y 160 mcg/día por un año, no mostró impacto alguno sobre el crecimiento vs placebo. La adherencia fué un elemento crucial en estos análisis. Los pediatras deberían considerar esta información en un contexto adecuado, intentando mantener las dosis en el mínimo indispensable para un adecuado control del asma bronquial.
Steroids are the antinflamatory treatment for asthma in children. Growth has been shown to be the most sensitive parameter to detect steroids' adverse effects. Recent information in relation to inhaled steroids and growth in children is reviewed; only year-long studies vs placebo, employing stadiometric measurements were considered, as follows:1. Beclomethasone , 400 mcg / day, when administered either orally or nasally impacts growth with a height difference vs placebo of 1-1,5 cm at the end of a year-long treatment .2. Budesonide dry powder ,400 mcg / day, during a 4-6 years treatment in school age children has shown the same height difference vs placebo as that for Beclomethasone; such difference persists until 21 years of age (more evident in females ).3. Fluticasone CFC, 100 mcg BID in preschool children over a 2-year treatment administered via aerochamber has shown the same difference as reported for other steroids above. No catch up growth was detected in patients under 2 years of age and weighting less than 15 kg after 1 year of withholding treatment.4. Momethasone dry - powder at 200 mcg / day has shown the same height difference as above.5. Ciclesonide HFA at doses of 40 mcg and 160 mcg / day over a year-long study has shown no impact on growth. Adherence was a crucial issue in this review; pediatricians should analyze this information in a proper context, aiming to the lowest dose possible for appropriate asthma control.
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Background and objective: Suplatast tosilate is a Th2 cytokine inhibitor that is effective for controlling persistent asthma. However, the long-term efficacy of suplatast is unknown. We compared the clinical efficacy of long-term monotherapy with suplatast tosilate with a low dose of inhaled steroids in patients with mild atopic asthma. Methods: A total of 32 patients with mild atopic asthma were randomly assigned to receive suplatast (n = 15) or fluticasone (n = 17). In the suplatast group, 100 mg of suplatast was given orally 3 times a day (total daily dose = 300 mg) for 2 years. In the fluticasone group, 100 mg of fluticasone was inhaled twice a day (total daily dose = 200 µg) for 2 years. Results: In the suplatast group, the improvements in peak expiratory flow (PEF) rate and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and the changes in the symptom diary scale and frequency of β2 stimulant inhalation were generally similar to those in the fluticasone group, and efficacy was maintained for 2 years. Improvements in inflammatory indices, such as the sputum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) level and exhaled nitric oxide concentration, were comparable in the suplatast and fluticasone groups. The improvement in airway hyper-responsiveness was also similar in the 2 groups. The peripheral blood eosinophil percent change, serum ECP level, and total IgE antibody titer improved only in the suplatast group. Conclusions: Long-term treatment with suplatast significantly improved symptoms and inflammatory indices in patients with mild atopic asthma. Along with fluticasone, suplatast is considered a useful drug for the management of mild atopic asthma.
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Although specific nasal provocation is an objective diagnostic test for allergic rhinitis, it can also increase the lower airway responsiveness in asthmatic patients. Our goal was to determine the value and safety of specific nasal provocation test for the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis in mild persistent asthmatic patients under low-dose inhaled steroid therapy. The study was performed on 32 mild persistent, stable, mite-sensitive allergic asthmatics (group 1), 9 mild persistent nonallergic asthmatics (group 2) and 9 healthy non-smokers (group 3). Nasal symptoms were noted, paranasal sinus computerized tomography (PNCT) and rhinoscopic evaluations were performed. Cases with pathologic-anatomic changes in PNCT and rhinoscopy were excluded. Symptom scoring, flow-volume, peak expiratory flow (PEF), serum and nasal lavage eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and nasal lavage eosinophil counts were performed before mite specific nasal provocation test and at the 0th , 4th and 24th hours following the test. No adverse effects were observed in all diagnostic procedures. Total diagnostic value of nasal symptoms were found to be at 92%, while being 70% for rhinoscopy and 88% for specific nasal provocation test respectively in the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis in group 1. Statistically significant differences were found between basal nasal lavage eosinophil values (p <0.001) and ECP levels (p <0.05) when group 1 was compared with both group 2 and group 3. In the remaining measured values between three groups, no statistically significant differences were found. Specific nasal provocation test is a safe method for mild house dust mite allergic asthma cases under low-dose inhaled steroid therapy, but history of rhinitis might be sufficient for the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.
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<B>Objective</B>: The objective of this study was to clarify issues in providing more effective guidance in the drug treatment, especially the usage instructions of inhaled steroids, of adult bronchial asthma patients by verifying which points of explanation are especially important in controlling attacks, and whether or not issues exist stemming from a evaluation gap between patients and pharmacists regarding the degree of explanation and understanding on the usage instructions of inhaled steroids.<br><B>Method</B>: Our survey targeted pharmacists working at community pharmacies in eight different areas of Japan, along with adult bronchial asthma patients using these pharmacies. Patients were questioned regarding the content and the degree of explanation in inhalation methods, the degree of understanding, and the degree of improvement in symptoms. For each point of explanation, the ratio of the score gap between (1) the patients’ evaluation (‘perception’) of the degree of the pharmacists’ explanation and pharmacists’ own evaluation of the degree of his/her own explanation, and (2) the patients’ evaluation of the degree of their own understanding and the pharmacists’ evaluation of the degree of patient understanding was calculated. We also verified the relationship between the patients’ evaluation and the degree of control of asthma attacks using a χ² test. We then reviewed the points of explanation which indicated significant difference, in an attempt to elucidate the characteristics of the patient-pharmacist “evaluation gap.”<Br><B>Results</B>: The results indicated that the degree of explanation of the “objectives of using inhaled steroids,” and “how to cope with asthma attacks,” as well as the degree of understanding of the “objectives of using inhaled steroids,” “directions for use and dosage,” and “drug interactions” provided an important clue to controlling asthma attacks. Of special note was the existence of “a gap in evaluation (perception)” regarding the degree of explanation and understanding between the patients and the pharmacists for the “objectives of using inhaled steroids” and “how to cope with asthma attacks.”<br><B>Conclusions</B>: It is crucial to pay special attention to the objectives of using inhaled steroids and how to cope with asthma attacks when guiding patients.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The etiology of osteoporosis in asthma is complex as various factors contribute to its pathogenesis. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of obesity and inhaled steroids, as well as the severity and duration of asthma, on osteoporosis in postmenopausal asthma patients as compared to healthy controls. METHODS: A total of 46 patients with asthma and 60 healthy female controls, all postmenopausal, were enrolled in our study. Bone mineral density was assessed at the lumbar spine and hip using a Lunar DPX-L densitometer. RESULTS: Bone mineral density (BMD) scores were comparable between the asthmatic and control groups, with average scores of 0.95 ± 0.29 and 0.88 ± 0.14 g/cm², respectively. Likewise, osteoporosis was diagnosed in a similar percentage of patients in the asthmatic (39.1 percent) and control (43.3 percent) groups. Bone fracture was identified in four patients with asthma (8.6 percent) and in six patients from the control group (10 percent). We could not detect any relationship between BMD and duration of asthma, asthma severity, inhaled steroids or body mass index (BMI). There was no difference between the two groups with respect to age or years since menopause. Although asthma patients were more likely to be overweight and presented higher BMD scores on average than the control subjects, these differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: There is a slight positive protective effect of high BMI against osteoporosis in asthma patients, but this effect is overcome by time and menopause status. Therefore, the protective effect of obesity against osteoporosis in asthma patients seems to not be significant.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Adrenal Cortex Hormones/adverse effects , Anti-Asthmatic Agents/adverse effects , Asthma/drug therapy , Bone Density/drug effects , Obesity/complications , Osteoporosis/chemically induced , Postmenopause , Administration, Inhalation , Asthma/complications , Body Mass Index , Case-Control Studies , Chi-Square Distribution , Severity of Illness Index , Statistics, Nonparametric , Time FactorsABSTRACT
With the world standardization of inhaled steroids for bronchial asthma, the principle of Kampo medicine has changed from treatment for asthma attack to the prevention of it. The number of severe adult patient cases has decreased, and the number of <i>hojinzai</i> (kidney tonic) users has increased. The number of weaker children has increased, and the number of <i>hohizai</i> (spleen tonic) users has increased. Kampo medicine was not equal to inhaled steroids for the treatment of bronchial asthma, because the number of patients treated with Kampo medicine, having more than one year without an attack, was only 10% to 20%, and this figure would be lower, with inhaled steroids.<br>Nevertheless, Kampo medicine has had a great effect, on patients with milder symptoms, who do not require inhaled steroids, and well as those patients uncontrollable even with inhaled steroids. The Saiboku-to and Maozai groups, including Sho-sei-ryu-to and Ma-kyo-kan-seki-to, are good for milder patients. It is advisable to first check the immediate reaction of Maozai group users, following its administration in the clinic for treating attacks. The Hojinzai group, including Hachimi-jio-gan and Bakumi-jio-gan-ryo, are good for patients with the severe asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. An increase in the peak-flow rate of these patients with Hachimi-jio-gan might be related to activation of dehydroepiandrosterone, although the mechanism is unknown. Moku-boi-to is indicated for those patients with complicated heart failure.