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The decline of pulmonary function among patients with chronic asthma treated with inhaled corticosteroid
Hirokazu Taniguchi1, Kiyoshi Hoshino, Masashi Kobayashi
1First Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan. tan-tym@umin.ac.jp
Abstract:
We analyzed the rate of decline of pulmonary function annually over 2 years in 49 patients with chronic asthma, who were being treated with inhaled corticosteroid (beclomethasone). The coefficient of linear regression of pulmonary function based on dose of inhaled corticosteroid may be used to track the exact rate of the decline of pulmonary function. The declining rate of pulmonary function is faster in the early stages of the disease, in spite of the treatment with inhaled beclomethasone. In chronic asthmatics, the distal airway units appear to deteriorate, and the extent of deterioration probably changes with the progression of the disease.