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Montelukast reduces asthma exacerbations in 2- to 5-year-old children with intermittent asthma

Hans Bisgaard1, Stefen Zielen, María Luz Garcia-Garcia

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, DK-2920 Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark. Bisgaard@copsac.dk

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
|November 16, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Montelukast significantly reduced asthma exacerbations in young children with intermittent asthma by 31.9% over 12 months. This treatment also delayed the time to the first exacerbation, offering a protective effect against viral-induced asthma attacks.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Asthma exacerbations in young children are often triggered by viral infections.
  • Intermittent asthma symptoms in children aged 2-5 years require effective preventive strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of montelukast in preventing viral-induced asthma exacerbations in children aged 2 to 5 years.
  • To assess the impact of montelukast on symptom frequency and healthcare resource utilization.

Main Methods:

  • A 12-month, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
  • 278 children received montelukast (4-5 mg daily), and 271 received a placebo.
  • Caregivers maintained daily diary cards for symptom tracking and resource use.

Main Results:

  • Montelukast reduced the rate of asthma exacerbations by 31.9% compared to placebo (1.60 vs. 2.34 episodes/year).
  • Montelukast significantly delayed the median time to the first exacerbation by approximately 2 months (p=0.024).
  • A significant reduction in the rate of inhaled corticosteroid courses was observed with montelukast (p=0.027).

Conclusions:

  • Montelukast is effective in reducing asthma exacerbations in 2- to 5-year-old children with intermittent asthma.
  • The drug demonstrates a favorable safety profile and tolerability over 12 months of treatment.
  • Montelukast offers a valuable therapeutic option for managing viral-induced asthma exacerbations in this pediatric population.

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