Thursday 01 November 2007, 12:00AM
PEARLS 46, November 2007, written by Brian R
McAvoy
Clinical question
Are inhaled corticosteroids effective for
exercise-induced asthma?
Bottom line
Compared to placebo, inhaled corticosteroids used
regularly for 4 weeks or more before exercise testing significantly
attenuated exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in both children
and adults.
Caveat
The relative benefits of inhaled corticosteroids compared to other
forms of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction treatment (sodium
cromoglycate, nedocromil sodium, salbutamol, and other
anti-inflammatory agents) remain unclear.The review included only 6
small studies, with numbers of participants ranging from 9 to
40.
Context
Exercise-induced asthma can limit a person's exercise endurance
and lead to people avoiding exercise. Depending on study
population, exercise protocol, detection method and exercise
conditions, prevalence of exercise-induced asthma ranges from 10 to
50 per cent.
Cochrane Systematic Review
Koh MS et al. Inhaled corticosteroids compared to placebo for
prevention of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Cochrane
Reviews 2007, Issue 3. Article No. CD002739. DOI:
10.1002/14651858.CD002739. pub 3. Note: This review contains 6
studies involving 123 participants.