European journal of clinical pharmacology
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Eur. J. Clin. Pharmacol. · Sep 2009
ReviewInhaled corticosteroids as combination therapy with beta-adrenergic agonists in airways disease: present and future.
Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy in combination with long-acting beta-adrenergic agonists represents the most important treatment for chronic airways diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ICS therapy forms the basis for treatment of asthma of all severities, improving asthma control, lung function and preventing exacerbations of disease. Use of ICS has also been established in the treatment of COPD, particularly symptomatic patients, who experience useful gains in quality of life, likely from an improvement in symptoms such as breathlessness and in reduction in exacerbations, and an attenuation of the yearly rate of deterioration in lung function. ⋯ Future progress in ICS development will be characterised by the introduction of ICS with greater efficacy with a limited side-effect profile, and by longer-acting ICS that can be used in combination with once-daily LABAs. Other agents that could improve the efficacy of corticosteroids or reverse corticosteroid insensitivity may be added to ICS. ICS in combination with LABAs will continue to remain the main focus of treatment of airways diseases.