Safety of Long-Acting β-Agonists
Authors: Graeme P. Currie
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2006)

Letters7 November 2006Safety of Long-Acting β-AgonistsGraeme P. Currie, MDGraeme P. Currie, MDFrom Aberdeen Royal Infirmarya, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-145-9-200611070-00021 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR: The meta-analysis by Salpeter and colleagues (1) raises concerns over the long-term safety of LABAs in patients with asthma. However, the authors are incorrect in stating that “[i]f long-acting β-agonists were removed from the market, the main treatment options for asthma would be inhaled corticosteroids and anticholinergic agents.”Leukotriene-receptor antagonists are advocated as suitable second-line controller therapy in patients with persistent asthma who are already receiving inhaled corticosteroids (2, 3). Indeed, adding a leukotriene-receptor antagonist has been shown to be as effective as LABAs in reducing exacerbation frequency. Moreover, adding a leukotriene-receptor antagonist would confer further beneficial ...References1. Salpeter SR, Buckley NS, Ormiston TM, Salpeter EE. Meta-analysis: effect of long-acting beta-agonists on severe asthma exacerbations and asthma-related deaths. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:904-12. [PMID: 16754916] LinkGoogle Scholar2. British guideline on the management of asthma. Thorax. 2003;58 Suppl 1 i1-94. [PMID: 12653493] MedlineGoogle Scholar3. Global Initiative for Asthma Workshop Report: Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention. NIH publication no. 02-3659. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; 2002 (updated 2004). Google Scholar4. Currie GP, Lee DK, Srivastava P. Long-acting bronchodilator or leukotriene modifier as add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids in persistent asthma? Chest. 2005;128:2954-62. [PMID: 16236972] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Aberdeen Royal Infirmarya, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.Disclosures: Dr. Currie has received funding from Merck Sharp & Dohme and GlaxoSmithKline for attending international conferences. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoMeta-Analysis: Effect of Long-Acting β-Agonists on Severe Asthma Exacerbations and Asthma-Related Deaths Shelley R. Salpeter , Nicholas S. Buckley , Thomas M. Ormiston , and Edwin E. Salpeter Safety of Long-Acting β-Agonists Shelley R. Salpeter Safety of Long-Acting β-Agonists Stuart W. Stoloff Safety of Long-Acting β-Agonists Dermot Ryan Safety of Long-Acting β-Agonists Mats Jacob Lindberg Safety of Long-Acting β-Agonists Harold S. Nelson and Paul M. Dorinsky Metrics Cited byCurrent awareness: Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety 7 November 2006Volume 145, Issue 9Page: 707-708KeywordsAsthmaConflicts of interestCorticosteroid therapyForecastingInflammationPatient advocacySafety ePublished: 7 November 2006 Issue Published: 7 November 2006 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2006 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...