Safety of formoterol in adults and children with asthma: a meta-analysis

Long-Acting β2-Agonist Step-off in Patients With Controlled Asthma

“…2 Few new data about the safety of LABAs have been forthcoming, but investigators, including some from the FDA, have pooled data from previous clinical trials to further study the potential risks of LABAs. [57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69] These analyses have provided con-tradictory conclusions, putting clinicians in an unsettling role of trying to decide how to best step down therapy. Indeed, the present study was prompted by members of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology and American Thoracic Society appealing to the leadership of these professional societies for guidance, especially in regard to how best to step down asthma treatment once asthma is controlled.…”

Outpatient Management of Asthma in Children

“…The use of long-acting beta-agonists as monotherapy is associated with increased mortality in adults and should therefore also be discouraged in children 25,26. The safety data on long-acting beta-agonists in young children, even when used in combination with inhaled corticosteroids, is unclear 27.…”

“…5 The use of long-acting beta-agonists as monotherapy is associated with increased mortality in adults and should therefore also be discouraged in children. 25,26 The safety data on long-acting beta-agonists in young children, even when used in combination with inhaled corticosteroids, is unclear. 27 Long-acting beta-agonists, even in combination with inhaled corticosteroids, should therefore not be used as a first-line treatment in the management of asthma.…”