Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Asthma Drugs Pose Risks for Youngsters

The FDA has reviewed the use of asthma drugs and their complications and found that certain medications are more likely to cause troubling reactions in children than in adults. The medications are known as long-acting beta-agonists, or LABAs for short. They include drugs such as Foradil, known generically as formoterol, and Serevent, the brand name for salmeterol. Last year, the agency urged doctors not to prescribe these drugs without an inhaled corticosteroid. Popular medications such as Advair and Symbicort include both corticosteroid and LABA; nonetheless, FDA said they should not be used as first line asthma treatments.
The new analysis covered 110 studies with 61,000 research subjects. Patients using a LABA were more likely to experience a serious asthma event such as hospitalization than those who used other medications. The youngest patients, 4 to 11 years old, had an especially high rate of complications, about 30 per 1,000 patient-years. This compares to not quite 5 adverse events per 1,000 patient years in adults. The bottom line seems to be that long-acting bronchodilators pose risks, especially for children.
[Pediatrics, October 24, 2011]

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
0- 0 ratings
About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.