- It is estimated that worldwide there are 339 million people with asthma.
- In Mexico alone, between 6 and 9% of asthma cases in children and adolescents are diagnosed.
- Based on the new scientific evidence, a new medical treatment was proposed to achieve better adherence in patients.
Dr. Dave Singh, considered one of the greatest exponents in the management of respiratory diseases worldwide, was visiting Mexico. As part of his trip, he gave a lecture to a group of health professionals to address the new approach to moderate asthma control.
During the talk, he said that high adherence to daily maintenance dosing treatments, such as fluticasone propionate and salmeterol, offer a better result and cause fewer side effects, compared to flexible dosing treatments with maintenance and rescue therapy, based on budesonide and formoterol. It also offers patients a good quality of life with little interruption to their daily activities.
Within the medical meeting, where more than 350 health professionals participated, including Pulmonologists, immunologists, pediatricians, internists, and general practitioners, the latest findings on the approach to moderate asthma were discussed. Recent research on the disease and its treatments were used as support.
Graduated from the University of Cambridge, the dr singh He is Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Respiratory Medicine at the University of Manchester. Among his lines of research, the development of new treatments for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) stands out. While I eat Medical Director of the Medicines Evaluation Unit of GSK He has participated as principal investigator in more than 300 studies.
In Mexico alone, between 6 and 9% of asthma cases in children and adolescents are diagnosed. In the population aged 18 to 45 the prevalence of the disease reaches up to 10%. Although 60% of patients consider that the disease is well controlled only 8% actually meet the criteria for controlled asthma.
What are the new approaches for the control of moderate asthma?
Asthma has a substantial disease burden resulting in premature death and loss of quality of life in people of all ages around the world. It also generates a considerable economic impact in direct costs (hospital services, medical consultations, treatments) and indirect costs (loss of productivity in patients and caregivers).
the size of the problem
- 339 million people suffer from asthma worldwide.
- 1,150 deaths are recorded daily from this disease.
- In Mexico, between 6 and 9% of children and adolescents present symptoms of asthma and are diagnosed.
- Up to 10% of the population between the ages of 18 and 45 in Mexico suffers from asthma.
60% of patients with asthma consider their disease to be well controlled: only 8% effectively meet the criteria for controlled asthma.
The dimension of the impact
Globally, asthma ranks:
- 16 among the leading causes of years lived with disability.
- 23 among the leading causes of premature death
- 28 among the leading causes of disability-adjusted life years.
Disease control is possible
Although mortality rates have decreased, deaths from asthma still occur, in whose management there is an excessive dependence on reliever medications, instead of the use of preventive medications for the appropriate management of the disease.
Clinical studies have shown that maintenance fixed-dose regimens, versus as-needed intermittent dosing, have shown better bronchoprotective effects for people living with moderate asthma:
Long-acting inhaled steroids, such as fluticasone furoate and fluticasone propionate, have more consistent efficacy and a better therapeutic index compared to short-acting inhaled steroids, such as budesonide, across all dosage scenarios.
Fluticasone furoate provided longer duration of bronchoprotection against budesonide (95% of the time vs. 60.6%) while fluticasone propionate was greater than or similar to budesonide (78.3% of the time vs. 60.6%, respectively), even in cases where there is less adherence to treatment.
Fixed-dose maintenance inhaled corticosteroid regimens—such as fluticasone propionate and salmeterol—offer optimal efficacy in disease control and fewer side effects, compared with flexible-dose maintenance and rescue therapy regimens—based on in budesonide and formoterol.
With 85% to 100% adherence to the treatment regimen, inhaled corticosteroids and/or long-acting beta-agonists provide better airway bronchoprotection in patients with moderate and moderate-to-severe asthma.
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