It's estimated that 14 million Americans have asthma, and that number is growing. The drug of choice for many sufferers is a bronchial dilator sold under the brand name Serevent.
Most doctors recommend it be taken in conjunction with inhaled steroids.
But recently, physicians have begun prescribing it alone. That's a bad idea according to two new studies in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association . Serevent may help ease symptoms including wheezing and breathlessness, but it does not alleviate the underlying inflammation that exacerbates the disease. In fact, when given alone, it can make it worse. The Saturday Early Show talked with Dr. Bernadine Healy, CBS News health contributor, to find out more about these studies and about Serevent for asthma sufferers.