User-life of ICS/LABA inhaler devices should be considered when prescribed as relievers

Inhaled corticosteroid/formoterol (ICS/FOR) combination medications were initially developed as maintenance therapy; more recently they are also used as relievers in Europe and this use is proposed in the USA. ICS coupled with FOR (a long-acting β2-agonist) is recommended by the 2020 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines [1] for steps 2–5 as maintenance and reliever (SMART) and is recommended for steps 3 and 4 in the 2020 USA National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) [2]. While SMART has regulatory approval in Europe, it does not in the USA.
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Original Articles: Correspondence Source Type: research