Certain Asthma Medications Increases the Risk of Complications; Kids are More Prone

But, if these medications, which are long- acting beta- agonists are taken in conjunction with inhaled corticosteroids, the risk cuts off.

Is new researches are to be believed, asthma medications (long- acting beta- agonists) if used alone, can raise the risk of certain severe health complications. The complications include hospitalization, intubation and can even lead to death (known as the asthma outcome). The risk is higher in children as compared to adults. But, if these drugs are taken in conjunction with inhaled corticosteroids, the risk of complications vanishes.

In the United States of America, the drugs manufactured and branded under the names Serevent and Foradil, contain only LABA. When LABA is added with inhaled corticosteroids, they are branded under the name Advair and Symbicort.

According to the Dr. Ann McMahon, study author and the associate director of science and the director of KidNet in the Office of Paediatric Therapeutics at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, they traced more instances of asthma composite outcome in the set of people who ingested LABA as compared to the set of people who did not. Also, they traced higher susceptibility in the younger patients.

One more thing to not, said Dr. Ann McMahon, was that in the group of patients who consistently took LABA in conjunction with ICS (inhaled corticosteroids), the risk was suppressed. But, due to the small group, they could not derive conclusion. Now, the agency is all set to carry out clinical trials in the same context.

The current report was published in the Pediatrics November issue.

In the year 2005, FDA took the responsibility to investigate the safety of long- acting beta-agonists when the issue first came into light. In the year 2008, first meta- analysis for ruling the safety of these drugs was initiated. The FDA advisory committee was in the opinion to ban of LABA with inhaled corticosteroids. To extend the knowledge on this topic a meta- analysis is going on.

The ongoing meta- analysis encompasses a hundred and ten clinical trials that incorporate about 6100 asthma patients. The patients are aged four and above. Some of the patients use long- acting beta- agonists while, some patients didn't.

According to the research, 6.3 more events for each thousand patient- years occur in patients taking LABA as compared to the patients who do not take medications. The events incorporate hospitalization, intubations and even death.

In the children between 4 to 11 year, the difference in between the 2 groups of patients was 30.4 events for each thousand patient years. The group between 12 to 17, showed the difference of 11.6 for each thousand patients years. Hospitalizations were more than intubation and deaths.

According to Dr. Ann, with the study the traced the trend and not individual cases and hence, they cannot answer why the deaths were high in children.

Dr. Dianne Murphy, senior study author and the director of the Office of Pediatric Therapeutics at FDA, some instances showed a difference between the work of the product in children as compared to adults. The explanation to it is that the asthma as a disease is not same in kids and adults or might also be associated with smaller airways in children. Or sometimes, children do not tell their parents about the worsening of their symptoms.

She concluded by saying that children must be given LABA only with steroids. And if no improvement is noted, the doctor must be informed.

Dr. Allyson Larkin, assistant professor of Pediatrics in the division of pulmonary medicine, allergy and immunology at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh said that the meta- analysis indicates on learning more about the whole topic.