BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A U.S. study has found inhaled corticosteroids are the most effective initial daily therapy for children with mild to moderate persistent asthma.

Although several medications are available to help children maintain asthma control, clinical trials directly comparing them had not been conducted.

In what's called the first study of its kind, scientists at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Md., compared the effectiveness and safety of three different asthma medicines for initial daily therapy for school-aged children with mild to moderate persistent asthma. The therapies were a low dose inhaled corticosteroid, a combination of a lower dose inhaled corticosteroid and an inhaled long acting beta2 agonist, and a leukotriene receptor antagonist.

Researchers studying 285 children ages 6 to 14 years found that after 48 weeks, inhaled corticosteroids were the most effective initial daily therapy. They also found no significant adverse growth effects among any of the medicines studied.

The research appears in this month's issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. // Copyright 2007 by United Press International


Publication date: 25 January 2007   

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