Treatment of mild asthma: Is it necessary to keep regular inhaled corticosteroids?

Byung-Jae Lee

doi:10.4168/aard.2014.2.3.153

Journal List > Allergy Asthma Respir Dis > v.2(3) > 1059018

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Lee: Treatment of mild asthma: Is it necessary to keep regular inhaled corticosteroids?

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Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease 2014; 2(3): 153-156.

Published online: 31 July 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2014.2.3.153

Treatment of mild asthma: Is it necessary to keep regular inhaled corticosteroids?

Byung-Jae Lee

Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Correspondence to: Byung-Jae Lee. Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea. Tel: +82-2-3410-3429, Fax: +82-2-3410-3849, leebj@skku.edu

Received 25 June 2014 Revised 26 June 2014 Accepted 27 June 2014

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/).

Abstract

The main goal of asthma treatment is an adequate control of symptoms and a reduction in future exacerbations. To achieve the goal, international guidelines recommend daily use of controllers, such as inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs), even in patients with mild asthma. However, poor adherence is an unavoidable issue in the management of mild asthma. In addition, there is concern about possible adverse reactions and economic burden by unnecessary treatment. Recently, several studies have shown that as-needed use of ICSs has similar effects as regular use of ICSs on the prevention of acute asthmatic exacerbations. However, daily regular use of ICSs seems to be superior in terms of symptom-free days or airway inflammation suppression. Further studies are needed to determine whether symptom-driven use of ICSs can be an effective strategy for the management of mild asthma. Also, it is necessary to develop proper methods that can predict mild asthmatics who experience frequent exacerbations if they stop regular ICSs.

Keywords: Asthma, Mild asthma, Inhaled corticosteroid

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