Common Asthma Medication Proves Ineffective For Children

by Tanya on  December 12, 2008 at 9:34 AM Respiratory Disease News
  •   Print
  •   Share
  •   Comments
  •  Text 
A new study has revealed that a commonly prescribed asthma medication has not displayed any clear-cut benefits in children.

Long-acting beta2-agonists (LABAs) commonly used for treatment of asthma in children may not prove effective in relieving the symptoms of asthma.

LABAs such as salmeterol and formoterol can reduce the symptoms of asthma for periods of up to 12 hours and are often given to relax the airways overnight or after exercise.

Currently, LABAs are recommended as add-on therapies to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), which are taken on a daily basis to help control symptoms over a longer term.

Child Health Field researchers claim that although giving LABAs to children can improve lung function, their use does not generally provide any further benefit over regular ICS therapy.

"We found no evidence to suggest that LABA should be used alone or in combination with ICS in the majority of young asthma sufferers," said Amy Plint, who led the study at the University of Ottawa in Canada.

"ICS should remain the therapy of choice," she added.

The researchers said more long-term trials are needed to establish the effectiveness of LABAs in children.

However, they believe that the drugs may improve lung function in the most severe cases.

"We should not rule out combination therapy as a treatment option in children with poorly controlled asthma despite compliance with moderate dose ICS agents," said Plint.

The study appears in journal Evidence-Based Child Health.

Source-ANI
TAN/M

 Email Email   RSS Feeds RSS Feeds   Print this page Print   Save this page Save   Link Link   Syndicate Syndicate   Comments Comments   Bookmark and Share
 
Comment & Contribute
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters

Notify me when reply is posted
I agree to the terms and conditions
  
If you have a question about health related issues, you can now post it in our Ask An Expert section on our community website Medwonders.com and get answers from our panel of experts.
X
  • Health News Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :
  • News Quick Links
News Central Health Watch
Latest Health News Health In Focus
News Category (500+) Breaking Health News
Popular News Celebrating Life
Health News and Press Release Medindia - Exclusive
News Photo Gallery India Special
News Video Gallery Lifestyle and Wellness
News From Other Resources
Asthma
Complete Medindia Resources
News Categories:  
Senior Health Center

Respiratory Disease Related News

» Definition of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Revised by International Panel » New TB Test Promises to be Cheap and Quick: Researchers
» Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Improvement in Exercise Capacity Improve Survival in COPD » Bared to Tobacco Fumes Children Run Into Long-Term Respiratory Complications: Study
» Study Links Asthma Medication With Heart Arrhythmias in Children, Young Adults » Elderly Asthmatics Observe Inflammation And Mortality
» Tiny Tool Can Play Major Role In The Fight Against TB » Cell Critical to Treatment-resistant Asthma Identified
Read More >>