Adding salmeterol to an inhaled corticosteroid: long term effects on bronchial inflammation in asthma.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Addition of the long acting beta2 agonist salmeterol to inhaled corticosteroids leads to better symptomatic asthma control than increasing the dose of inhaled corticosteroids. However, little is known about the long term effects of adding salmeterol on the asthmatic inflammatory process, control of which is considered important for the long term outcome of asthma.

Methods

After a 4 week fluticasone run-in period, 54 patients with allergic asthma were randomised to receive twice daily treatment with fluticasone 250 microg with or without salmeterol 50 microg for 1 year in a double blind, parallel group design (total daily dose of fluticasone 500 microg in both treatment groups). Primary outcomes were sputum eosinophil numbers and eosinophil cationic protein concent

SUBMITTER: Koopmans JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2104614 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature