Why Doctors Treat Asthma Wrong

British scientists have found that doctors too often prescribe short-acting inhalers to asthma patients. If patients used prophylactic inhalers more often, the number of hospitalizations would be reduced by 70%

What’s going on

• Researchers from Queen Mary University of London analyzed the medical records of more than 700 asthma patients aged 5 to 80 years.
• It turned out that many patients were prescribed short-acting inhalers more often than necessary. Moreover, they are prescribed not for the prevention of the disease, but for the relief of symptoms. This is dangerous because the excessive use of such inhalers masks the development of the disease, creating additional health risks.
• 26% of patients received 6–12 short-acting inhaler prescriptions per year. A quarter of these patients neglected glucocorticoid inhalers to prevent asthma.
• If you redistribute the use of inhalers towards glucocorticoids, then the number of hospitalizations of asthma patients will be reduced by 70%.

What does it mean

According to RNIMU them. N.I. Pirogov, in 2021, 360 million people in the world were diagnosed with bronchial asthma. By 2025, this figure is expected to grow by another 100-150 million people.

Common causes of asthma are allergens such as house dust, animal dander, molds, plant pollen, as well as tobacco smoke, industrial dust, air pollution, and drugs. Among the factors in the development of the disease, even cold air, strong emotions, such as anger or fear, and physical activity are distinguished.

There are two main ways to treat asthma. The first is the use of inhaled glucocorticoids – anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory drugs. They treat airway inflammation, and when used daily, these medicines can reduce asthma attacks. The second method involves the use of inhalers with a fast-acting drug. They are needed to open the airways, make breathing easier and prevent an asthma attack.

The market for asthma drugs, according to GlobeNewswire, was $2021 billion in 24,23. The market is expected to grow to $2028 billion by 34,13.