Asthma dosages need to be regular for continued benefits
Children with asthma and being administered with steroids in the younger age but discontinuing the usage after some time may not experience the same benefits as with steroid usage, according to results from a comprehensive childhood asthma study.
This study finding came from the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) clinical trial that involved more than 1,000 children with mild-to-moderate asthma. These children were divided into three groups of which one received placebo, second one received nedocromil (an inhaled non-steroid medication), and the third one received twice-daily budesonide and an inhaled corticosteroid. All the participating groups also received albuterol, a bronchodilator, and oral corticosteroids for treating asthma symptoms.
From News-Medical.Net:
Inhaled corticosteroids such as budesonide have been shown to be the most effective form of anti-inflammatory treatment for asthma by controlling symptoms and improving pulmonary function. Results from the original CAMP trial showed that using budesonide twice daily led to fewer hospitalizations and urgent care visits, fewer days in which additional asthma medications were needed and a reduced need for albuterol, a fast-acting drug for relief of acute asthma symptoms. Using nedocromil twice daily reduced urgent care visits and courses of oral steroids for severe symptoms, but did not affect the number of hospitalizations, symptoms or airway responsiveness.
Although the patients had fewer symptoms five years after stopping the daily medication, Strunk cautions that doesn’t mean that they can stop using asthma medications altogether or that their asthma is cured.
The study findings are considered to provide new insights to members of the medical fraternity when it comes to formulation of new asthma treatment plans.
Tags: Albuterol, asthma, budesonide, corticosteroids, nedocromil, non-steroid, steroid, steroid drugs, steroid therapy
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