United States: While there are now better inhalers to assist manage asthma and treat asthma attacks, very few people are really utilizing them, according to a recent study though the smart inhalers are currently advised by the experts to reduce the health risks.
Introduction of Advanced Inhalers
According to study, the new inhalers mix long-acting medication called formoterol, which opens up the airways, with inflammation-fighting corticosteroids which really helps you in better inhaling.
In addition to being used as a rescue inhaler during an asthma attack, these combo inhalers are used twice daily to treat moderate to severe asthma.
Impact of SMART Inhalers
The use of “SMART” inhalers is currently advised by guidelines from the Global Initiative for Asthma and the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program.
However, the researchers discovered that more than two out of five lung and allergy experts had not used the combo medication, and that less than one in six persons with moderate or severe asthma have been administered a SMART inhaler.
Challenges in Implementation
“Our results indicate that physicians are not consistently implementing or adopting the current guidelines for managing asthma,” stated Dr. Sandra Zaeh, the senior study author and pulmonary and critical care medicine specialist at Yale University School of Medicine.
Researchers noted that prior guidelines had advised using short-acting rescue inhalers with a medication like albuterol, which opens airways, in addition to maintenance inhalers twice day.
U.S. guidelines were revised by 2021 and now suggest a single combination corticosteroid and formoterol inhaler for both relief and maintenance therapy (SMART).
According to experts, two SMART inhalers that are accessible in the US are Symbicort (budesonide-formoterol) and Dulera (mometasone-formoterol).
In comparison to conventional medication with two distinct inhalers, the SMART strategy has been demonstrated to considerably reduce asthma symptoms and attacks, according to researchers.
Research Findings and Future Implications
Researchers found that individuals who were older and Medicare-eligible had a lower likelihood of receiving a SMART prescription.
Lead researcher Zoe Zimmerman, a medical student and researcher at Yale School of Medicine, stated that “providers are less likely to try a new inhaler regimen with older individuals or seniors who are more resistant to changing treatment regimens, especially if they have been using the same inhalers for years.”
The results were announced on Tuesday at the annual conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego. Until such research is published in a peer-reviewed journal, it is regarded as preliminary.
The researchers acknowledged that prior research has shown that it takes take over 15 years for guidelines to be widely adopted by physicians of all stripes.
In a press statement for the meeting, Zeah stated, “Our findings reinforce the idea that adoption of guidelines by clinicians takes time.”