Triple drug therapy better than dual therapy for reducing asthma flares: JAMA study
Ontario, Canada: The addition of a third drug to commonly used dual-drug inhalers significantly reduces severe asthma exacerbations and improves asthma control without much effect on the quality of life or mortality in people with moderate-to-severe asthma, a recent study has revealed.
Derek K. Chu, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues announced their findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Data from 20 randomized controlled trials, which included a total of almost 12,000 patients, were analyzed in the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Dual-drug inhalers used to treat asthma typically contain an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) to reduce inflammation, as well as a long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist (LABA) that acts as a bronchodilator. High-certainty evidence showed that the inclusion of a third drug to ICS-LABA combination therapy, known as a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), reduced severe asthma exacerbations and slightly improved asthma control without an increase in adverse events. Previously, the benefits and harms of adding a LAMA to ICS-LABA therapy for asthma treatment were unclear and based on only 1300 patients - mainly adults - leading to weak recommendations in treatment guidelines.
Reference:
The study titled, "Triple vs Dual Inhaler Therapy and Asthma Outcomes in Moderate to Severe Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis," is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
DOI: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2780374
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