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Studies conducted since the 1960s have shown associations between overuse of inhaled β-agonists and asthma deaths, and experts have debated whether these observations represent cause and effect. After the long-acting β-agonist salmeterol (Serevent) was approved in the mid-1990s, the manufacturer was asked to conduct a large safety study. The results (first released 3 years ago) now have been published.
Researchers randomized 26,355 adolescents and adults with asthma (18% black) to receive either inhaled salmeterol or placebo twice daily, along with their usual asthma medications. Only 47% of subjects used inhaled corticosteroids at baseline. After 28 weeks, more salmeterol recipients than placebo recipients experienced the primary endpoint o…