Abstract
Cigarette smoking decreases corticosteroid sensitivity in patients with asthma and worsens their symptoms and exacerbation frequency. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the cornerstone of asthma treatment. However, the optimal therapies for smokers with asthma are not well defined because smokers (and ex-smokers with a >10 pack-year history) are usually excluded from clinical trials. Exposure to even low levels of cigarette smoke is known to induce small airway inflammation (5, 6), which is associated with worse asthma control. Therefore, ICS deposition in small airways, which increases with small- versus standard-size–particle ICS, might be an important determinant of ICS effectiveness in smokers with asthma.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 960-964 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine |
Volume | 191 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 15 Apr 2015 |
Keywords
- Inhaled Corticosteroids
- Smokers
- Ex-Smokers
- Non Smokers
- Differential Effects