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JACI Highlights - October 2006
Lazarus et al - Mild Persistent Asthma: Is Any Treatment Needed?
In the October 2006 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Lazarus addresses the issue of asthma treatment guidelines and their applicability for all different levels of asthma severity. The 1997 revision of the NAEPP guidelines for asthma treatment, recommended daily controller therapy for all patients except those with "mild intermittent" asthma.. Since the 1997 revision of the guidelines, evidence has accumulated confirming that regular use of inhaled corticosteroids is associated with improvements in symptoms and lung function. However, several recent studies raise questions about the need of chronic controller therapy for patients with mild persistent asthma, and there is reason to question whether all patients at the mild end of the asthma severity spectrum should be committed to long-term therapy with inhaled corticosteroids. Although these data are not sufficient to warrant a change in guidelines, the new information points out the need for large, long-term studies on the treatment of mild persistent asthma.
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