Emergency inhalers: Good for some; bad for others Beta agonist inhalers like Albuterol may help some people control their asthma, while others may see better control if they give up such inhalers. That's one of the interesting points in this news release on a study from the National Institute of Health.
While all participants initially responded well to albuterol, after 16 weeks of daily use, those with the arginine genotype had poorer asthma control compared to their matched partners with the glycine genotype. In addition, the arginine participants reported more symptoms, lower FEV1 scores (a measurement of lung function) and more frequent use of quick-relief medication.
Overall, participants with the arginine genotype had improved asthma control when not using albuterol. In contrast, participants with the glycine genotype had better asthma control with albuterol treatment, although not with placebo.
This whole thing is worth reading. We generally only hear about how emergency inhalers improve lives, not how they can make conditions worse.
11:37:43 PM | permalink |
|
