
Wade Watson reviewed the TREXA study which included 288 children with mild asthma for 44 weeks. "Rescue" BDP was more effective than placebo in preventing exacerbations, and could be a possible alternative for step-down therapy (Lancet, Sep 2011).
Paul Keith reviewed the top 10 adult allergy papers from 2010-2011, from the McMaster University Plus website:
- Oral prednisone in addition to antibiotics may be helpful for chronic sinusitis (Ann of Int Medicine 2011)
- Lebrikizumab (anti-IL13) is useful for asthma, especially in high periostin subgroup (a marker of airway remodelling). Lebrikizumab improved FEV1, but there was no improvement in symptoms or medication use (NEJM 2011).
- Tiotropium works as step-up therapy in adult asthma. There were similar improvements in lung function and symptom-free days as adding LABA (NEJM 2011).
- LTRA works as first-line or add-on therapy for adult asthma. There were very similar outcomes to low-dose ICS as first-line. LTRA was also similar to LABA as add-on in "real world" study (NEJM 2011).
Disclaimer: The text was edited, modified, and added to by me. I was invited to speak on the topic of social media use by the allergists during the 2011 CSACI meeting.