Use of β-Blockers in Patients with Reactive Airway Disease
Authors: David J. Shulan
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Letters19 August 2003Use of β-Blockers in Patients with Reactive Airway DiseaseDavid J. Shulan, MD, Michael Katlan, MD, and Mollie Lavsky-Shulan, MDDavid J. Shulan, MDCertified Allergy & Asthma Consultants; Albany, NY 12211 (Shulan, Katlan)Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Albany, NY 12208 (Lavsky-Shulan)Search for more papers by this author, Michael Katlan, MDCertified Allergy & Asthma Consultants; Albany, NY 12211 (Shulan, Katlan)Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Albany, NY 12208 (Lavsky-Shulan)Search for more papers by this author, and Mollie Lavsky-Shulan, MDCertified Allergy & Asthma Consultants; Albany, NY 12211 (Shulan, Katlan)Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Albany, NY 12208 (Lavsky-Shulan)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-139-4-200308190-00020 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We are very concerned about the conclusions of Salpeter and colleagues' meta-analysis on cardioselective ββ-blockers in patients with reactive airway disease (1). With reactive airway disease, the immediate drop in FEV1 may not indicate the risk to patients taking -blocking medications. In the 10 continued treatment studies, only 141 participants received ββ-blockers for 3 days to 4 weeks. Individuals with mild to moderate asthma may tolerate -blockade well between asthma triggers. Long-term studies ( 1 year) must be performed to examine the frequency of asthma exacerbations and steroid burst, as well as hospitalization and death rates, before ...References1. Salpeter SR, Ormiston TM, Salpeter EE. Cardioselective β-blockers in patients with reactive airway disease: a meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:715-25. [PMID: 12416945] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Epstein PE. Fresh Air and -blockade [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:766-7. [PMID: 12416951] LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: David J. Shulan, MD; Michael Katlan, MD; Mollie Lavsky-Shulan, MDAffiliations: Certified Allergy & Asthma Consultants; Albany, NY 12211 (Shulan, Katlan)Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Albany, NY 12208 (Lavsky-Shulan) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoCardioselective β-Blockers in Patients with Reactive Airway Disease Shelley R. Salpeter , Thomas M. Ormiston , and Edwin E. Salpeter Fresh Air and β-Blockade Paul E. Epstein Use of β-Blockers in Patients with Reactive Airway Disease Shelley R. Salpeter and Thomas M. Ormiston Metrics Cited byMedications as asthma triggersDrug-Induced Respiratory Disease in Connective Tissue Diseases 19 August 2003Volume 139, Issue 4Page: 304KeywordsAsthmaDeath ratesExerciseForced expiratory volume in the first second of expirationHospitalizationsPulmonary diseasesSafetySafety studiesUpper respiratory tract infectionsViral diseases ePublished: 19 August 2003 Issue Published: 19 August 2003 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...