JAMA

ACAAI 2024: How do inhaled reliever therapies for asthma stack up?

November 4, 2024

Compared with short-acting β agonists (SABA), inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) combined with formoterol and ICS combined with SABA were each associated with reduced asthma exacerbations and improved asthma control. The findings were presented at the recent annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Boston.

This systematic review and network meta-analysis included 27 randomized trials evaluating (1) SABA alone, (2) ICS with formoterol, and (3) ICS with SABA (combined or separate inhalers) (N = 50,496 adult and pediatric patients; mean age, 41.0 years; 40% male).

Relative to SABA alone, both ICS-containing relievers were associated with fewer severe exacerbations (ICS-formoterol risk ratio [RR], 0.65; ICS-SABA RR, 0.84). Compared with SABA alone, both ICS-containing relievers were associated with improved asthma control (ICS-formoterol RR improvement in total score, 1.07; ICS-SABA RR, 1.09). In an indirect comparison with ICS-SABA, ICS-formoterol was associated with fewer severe exacerbations (RR, 0.78). Compared with SABA alone, neither ICS-formoterol nor ICS-SABA was associated with an increased risk of serious adverse events.

Source:

Rayner DG, et al. (2024, October 28). JAMA. Inhaled Reliever Therapies for Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39465893/