Such sufferers of "mild" asthma are recommended to take additional drugs such as the inhaler albuterol, known as "rescue" therapy, to treat symptoms. The majority of people with asthma have a mild form of the disease, researchers note.
The study, which is published in the May 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, involved 500 children and adults whose asthma was treated with twice-daily inhaled fluticasone propionate (Flovent Discus), a commonly prescribed synthetic steroid.
This drug mainly works to suppress inflammation within the airways that can cause narrowing. One third of the group continued to take Flovent twice a day for 16 weeks while another third took a combination of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol in a single inhaler (Advair Discus) once daily and the rest took the oral medication montelukast (Singulair).
Singulair blocks chemicals produced by the body that cause inflammation and is also taken once daily while Salmeterol, used in the combination therapy, is a long-acting bronchodilator, or a drug that relaxes and opens the airways.
Researchers found that the groups taking twice-daily fluticasone and once-daily fluticasone/salmeterol both had a treatment failure rate of 20 percent while the rate was 30 percent with the patients taking montelukast.
The study suggests that patients whose asthma is well controlled on twice-daily fluticasone can be switched to once-daily flucitasone/salmeterol without increased rates of treatment failure.
