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Seniors Undertreated for Asthma, and Many Skip Inhalers: Study

Posted 1 May 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 1 – Asthma often is misdiagnosed and undertreated in older people, with only 53 percent of those with asthma using prescribed inhalers, a small new study suggests. The study included 77 people, including people both with and without asthma, who were over age 60. Of those with asthma, 89 percent also had allergies to mold, animals or dust mites. The asthma patients were more likely than those without asthma to have hay fever, arthritis, diabetes, higher levels of pain and poor general health than those without asthma. The study appears in the May issue of the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. "Those with asthma reported more infections, physician visits and impact on health, yet only half are regularly treating the disease," lead author and allergist Dr. Andrew Smith said in a journal news release. "Patients should regularly carry and take prescribed asthma ... Read more

Related support groups: Asthma, Albuterol, Symbicort, Asthma -- Maintenance, Spiriva, Fluticasone, Advair Diskus, Flovent, Combivent, Epinephrine, Qvar, Asthma -- Acute, Ventolin, Xopenex, ProAir HFA

Rapid Asthma Treatment in ER May Prevent Admission

Posted 6 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 6 – Rapid treatment with asthma medications seems to help reduce hospitalizations among children with asthma, a new study finds. Canadian researchers analyzed data from 406 children and found that those with moderate or severe asthma attacks who received systemic corticosteroids within 75 minutes of arriving at a hospital emergency department were 16 percent less likely to be admitted to the hospital. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation. The findings illustrate the importance of rapidly identifying and treating children with asthma when they arrive at an emergency department, the researchers said. The study was recently published online in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine. "We knew that corticosteroids could help avoid hospital admissions and relapses. However, just how delays between emergency department admission and administration of the treatment impacted ... Read more

Related support groups: Asthma, Albuterol, Symbicort, Spiriva, Fluticasone, Advair Diskus, Flovent, Combivent, Epinephrine, Qvar, Asthma -- Acute, Ventolin, Xopenex, ProAir HFA, Entocort

Asthma Meds Likely Safe During Pregnancy: Study

Posted 20 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 20 – A new study found no statistically significant link between asthma medication use during pregnancy and common birth defects. However, the study did find a positive association between some rare birth defects and mothers with asthma, and potentially with their medication use. But, the researchers couldn't tease out whether the problem was a loss of oxygen from less than well-controlled asthma or an effect of medications. "Worsening asthma is a risk to the mom and the fetus. Hypoxia (a lack of oxygen) we know is a problem for a developing fetus. And, the potential risk they found here is very small. Even if it turns out to be a true increase, the risk is so small. This study raises more questions than it answers," said Dr. Natalie Meirowitz, chief of the division of maternal fetal medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. What's most ... Read more

Related support groups: Asthma, Albuterol, Symbicort, Asthma -- Maintenance, Spiriva, Fluticasone, Advair Diskus, Flovent, Combivent, Epinephrine, Qvar, Asthma -- Acute, Ventolin, Xopenex, ProAir HFA

FDA Medwatch Alert: Long-Acting Beta-Agonists (LABAs): New Safe Use Requirements

Posted 17 Apr 2011 by Drugs.com

[UPDATED 04-15-2011] To further evaluate the safety of Long-Acting Beta-Agonists (LABAs) when used in combination with inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of asthma, the FDA is requiring the manufacturers of LABAs to conduct five randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trials comparing the addition of LABAs to inhaled corticosteroids versus inhaled corticosteroids alone. The clinical trials will begin in 2011 and FDA expects to receive results in 2017. [UPDATED 06/03/2010] Drug labels now contain updated recommendations. [Posted 02/18/2010] FDA notified healthcare professionals and consumers that, due to safety concerns, FDA is requiring a risk management strategy (REMS) and class-labeling changes for all LABAs. The REMS will require a revised Medication Guide written specifically for patients, and a plan to educate healthcare professionals about the appropriate use of ... Read more

Related support groups: Symbicort, Advair Diskus, Salmeterol, Dulera, Advair HFA, Formoterol, Foradil Aerolizer, Perforomist, Serevent Diskus, Formoterol/mometasone, Fluticasone/Salmeterol, Budesonide/Formoterol

FDA Issues Warning on Key Asthma Drugs

Posted 18 Feb 2010 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Feb. 18 - A new label warning will caution users of four widely used asthma drugs to avoid using these medicines as a sole or long-term means of symptom control, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday. The medicines are GlaxoSmithKline's Advair and Serevent, Novartis' Foradil and AstraZeneca's Symbicort. All are in the class of drugs known as long-acting beta agonists (LABAs). Serevent and Foradil are single-agent LABAs while Advair and Symbicort also contain an inhaled corticosteroid. LABAs should no longer be used alone in treating adults and children, the FDA said. In making its decision, the agency cited studies that found that using the drugs alone can actually increase the severity of asthma, leading to hospitalizations and even death. The drugs should only be used for the shortest time possible, until asthma symptoms are under control and be ... Read more

Related support groups: Asthma, Symbicort, Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, Foradil Aerolizer, Serevent Diskus

New Treatments Improve Control for Severe Asthma

Posted 16 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 16 – Over just one decade, new asthma medications and tools have significantly improved the management of this serious airway disease. When compared to children treated in the mid-'90s, children with severe asthma during 2004 to 2007 were less likely to need oral steroids and rescue inhalers, and their lung function scores were improved, according to a study from National Jewish Health in Denver. "The current cohort was less likely to require chronic oral glucocorticoids, have better asthma control and have fewer glucocorticoid-induced adverse effects compared to a cohort of severe asthmatic children studied a decade ago," wrote the authors. Results of the study were expected to be presented Saturday at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) annual meeting, in Washington, D.C. To assess whether or not newer medications such as newer inhaled steroids, ... Read more

Related support groups: Asthma, Singulair, Asthma -- Maintenance, Advair Diskus, Asthma -- Acute, Advair HFA, Allergic Asthma, AccuNeb

Inhaled Corticosteroids Boost Pneumonia Risk in COPD

Posted 9 Feb 2009 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 9 – The use of inhalers containing corticosteroids to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) might increase the risk of pneumonia by as much as 70 percent, researchers report. Inhaled corticosteroids, used to treat asthma, are not approved for use in COPD patients. However, one product that is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, Advair, combines steroids with a beta-antagonist and is approved to treat COPD. A similar product, Symbicort, marketed by AstraZeneca, is currently under consideration for use in COPD patients. "It is not that we didn't know the potential for these risks, but these risks must be balanced against the uncertain benefits of the drugs providing some symptom relief in these patients," said lead researcher Dr. Sonal Singh, an assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. No one should stop using their ... Read more

Related support groups: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Symbicort, Advair Diskus, Advair HFA

FDA Panel Mulls Safety of Asthma Meds

Posted 11 Dec 2008 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Dec. 11 – The safety of four asthma medications will be weighed by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration expert panel as two days of hearings end Thursday. The controversy over these drugs has been going on for several years, with two FDA officials recently calling for banning the use of these drugs for anyone under 17. One expert thinks the problem is not with the drugs, but with their misuse. "This is an over-interpretation of the risk without adequate consideration of benefit," said Dr. Miles Weinberger, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Iowa. "However, there has been irresponsible marketing of the products, salmeterol and formoterol, and irresponsible prescribing by many physicians." "Since most patients with chronic asthma can be controlled with inhaled steroids alone, using these more expensive combination formulations as first line is inappropriate but ... Read more

Related support groups: Symbicort, Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, Foradil Aerolizer, Serevent Diskus

FDA Medwatch Alert: Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate & salmeterol inhalation powder)

Posted 18 Nov 2005 by Drugs.com

[Posted 11/18/2005] FDA notified manufacturers of Advair Diskus, Foradil Aerolizer, and Serevent Diskus to update their existing product labels with new warnings and a Medication Guide for patients to alert health care professionals and patients that these medicines may increase the chance of severe asthma episodes, and death when those episodes occur. All of these products contain long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABA). Even though LABAs decrease the frequency of asthma episodes, these medicines may make asthma episodes more severe when they occur. A Medication Guide with information about these risks will be given to patients when a prescription for a LABA is filled or refilled. [November 18, 2005 - Public Health Advisory - FDA] [November 18, 2005 - Drug Information Page - FDA] Read more

Related support groups: Advair Diskus

FDA Medwatch Alert: Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder)

Posted 15 Aug 2003 by Drugs.com

The FDA announced the addition of new safety information and warnings to the labeling for drug products that contain salmeterol, a long-acting bronchodilator used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The new labeling includes a boxed warning about a small, but significant, increased risk of life-threatening asthma episodes or asthma-related deaths observed in patients taking salmeterol in a recently completed large U.S. safety study.[August 2003 Letter - GlaxoSmithKline][August 14, 2003 Talk Paper - FDA][August 2003 Revised label, Serevent - GlaxoSmithKline][August 2003 Revised label, Serevent Diskus - GlaxoSmithKline][August 2003 Revised label, Advair Diskus - GlaxoSmithKline] Read more

Related support groups: Advair Diskus, Advair HFA

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