J Korean Med Assoc.  2007 Mar;50(3):279-283. 10.5124/jkma.2007.50.3.279.

A New Treatment Strategy for Asthma: SMART (Symbicort(R) Maintenance And Reliever Therapy)

• Park HS
• Ye YM

• KMID: 2184811
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2007.50.3.279

Abstract

Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways with variable airflow limitation resulting in recurrent wheezing, chest tightness, and cough. Long term management is essential to prevent symptom and asthma exacerbation with using daily controller medications. Asthma control was much improved by combining inhaled corticosteroids with long-acting beta2 agonists. Recent several studies demonstrated the effectiveness of a new asthma management strategy, a single inhaler containing budesonide and formoterol for both maintenance therapy and symptom relief (called SMART) which was approved in GINA guideline, 2006. This SMART strategy could reduce the frequency of severe exacerbations and the need for rescue medicine with systemic steroids as well as improved lung function and asthma controls at relatively lower doses of corticosteroid with lesser costs for treatment.

Keyword

Asthma; ICS and LABA combination; SMART

MeSH Terms

Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Asthma*
Budesonide
Cough
Formoterol Fumarate
Inflammation
Lung
Nebulizers and Vaporizers
Respiratory Sounds
Steroids
Thorax
Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Budesonide
Steroids

Reference

1. National Institutes of Health: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Global strategy for asthma management and prevention. Global Initiative for Asthma. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health;Revised 2006.

2. Cho SH, Park HW, Rosenberg DM. The current status of asthma in Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2006. 21:181–187.

3. Cho SH, Kim YK, Chang YS, Kim SS, Min KU, Kim YY. Asthma insights and reality in Korea. Korean J Medicine. 2006. 70:69–76.

4. O'Byrne PM, Bisgaard H, Godard PP, Pistolesi M, Palmqvist M, Zhu Y, Ekström T, Bateman ED. Budesonide/Formoterol combination therapy as both maintenance and reliever medication in asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005. 171:129–136.

5. Rabe KF, Pizzichini E, Ställberg B, Romero S, Balanzat AM, Atienza T, Atienza T, Lier PA, Jorup C. Budesonide/Formoterol in a single inhaler for maintenance and relief in mild-to-moderate asthma: A randomized, double-blind trial. Chest. 2006. 129:246–256.

6. Johansson G, Andreasson EB, Larsson PE, Vogelmeier CF. Cost effectiveness of Budesonide/Formoterol for maintenance and reliever therapy versus Salmeterol/Fluticasone plus Salbutamol in the treatment of asthma. Pharmacoeconomics. 2006. 24:695–708.