Pulmonary pharmacology & therapeutics
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Pulm Pharmacol Ther · Aug 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of inhaled corticosteroids on small airways in asthma: investigation using impulse oscillometry.
Small airways appear to have an important role in asthma. Hydrofluoroalkane-134a beclomethasone dipropionate (HFA-BDP) has ultrafine particles and accordingly greater deposition in the small airways than chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-BDP. Impulse oscillometry systems (IOS), a new and non-invasive measure of pulmonary function, can examine the resistance of total (R5), large (R20), and small airways (R5-R20) separately, and low-frequency reactance area (AX), also considered a measure of small airways dysfunction. ⋯ HFA-BDP is an effective treatment of small airways in asthma. Prolonged treatment provides a progressive effect over time, which is associated with an attenuation of airway responsiveness.