Clinical outcome of adding long-acting beta-agonists to inhaled corticosteroids

Current asthma management guidelines state that where a patient is receiving a low to moderate dose of inhaled corticosteroids and is still experiencing symptoms the dose of corticosteroid should be increased and, if necessary, a long-acting bronchodilator should be added. Many studies have now shown that the addition of a beta2-agonist with long-acting properties is more effective at controlling asthma symptoms than increasing the dose of corticosteroid alone. The Formoterol and Corticosteroid Establishing Therapy (FACET) study was a 12-month study comparing exacerbation rates in patients treated with budesonide (100 microg or 400 microg) twice daily alone vs, treatment with budesonide (100 microg or 400 microg) twice daily plus formoterol 9 microg twice daily (delivered dose). The addition of formoterol reduced the rates of mild and severe exacerbations compared with budesonide alone, with the lowest rates seen in patients receiving high-dose budesonide and formoterol. There was no difference in the profile of exacerbations in any groups, indicating formoterol does not mask any signs of inflammation. The addition of formoterol to budesonide was also shown to result in improved lung function (as measured by peak expiratory flow rate and forced expiratory volume in 1 second), night-time awakenings and the use of as-needed medication when compared with an increase in the dose of budesonide. In all cases, increasing the dose of budesonide and addition of formoterol resulted in the most improvement and a significant increase in quality of life, measured by Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), was noted. In conclusion, the addition of formoterol to established treatment with inhaled corticosteroids provides superior asthma control compared with an increase in the dose of corticosteroid alone.