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Long-Acting Beta-Agonists Show No Clear Benefits in Children With Asthma CHICHESTER, United Kingdom -- December 10, 2008 -- There are no clear benefits to using long-acting beta2-agonists (LABAs) for treatment of asthma in children, according to an overview of recent Cochrane reviews published in the December issue of Evidence-Based Child Health. Child Health field researchers reported that there is currently insufficient evidence to suggest that the drugs offer any additional benefit over regular inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) therapy. "We found no evidence to suggest that LABA should be used alone or in combination with ICS in the majority of young asthma sufferers. ICS should remain the therapy of choice," said lead author Amy Plint, MD, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario. The overview included 4 previous reviews of trials in children aged over 4 years. Together, the trials showed that ICS in combination with LABAs significantly improved lung function compared with ICS combined with placebos. LABAs did not, however, reduce severity of asthma symptoms as measured by hospital admissions or the need for steroid medication. The researchers said more long-term trials are needed to establish the effectiveness of LABAs in children. However, they think that the drugs may improve lung function in the most severe cases. "We should not rule out combination therapy as a treatment option in children with poorly controlled asthma despite compliance with moderate dose ICS agents," said Dr. Plint. SOURCE: Wiley-Blackwell E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version