More About As-Needed Inhaled Corticosteroids for Patients with Asthma

Use of intermittent inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for asthma now is recommended widely, but its uptake in the U.S. has been slow. According to both international and U.S. guidelines, ICS/formoterol is recommended as both maintenance and reliever therapy (MART) in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma; the long-acting β-agonist (LABA) formoterol is suitable for both roles because it is both long-acting and has quick onset of action. Two studies published this year offer further support for using as-needed ICS for adolescents and adults with moderate-to-severe asthma — but both used albuterol plus ICS as the reliever combination.

In one trial, 3100 adolescents and adults with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma received either budesonide/…