The September 2019 volume of the New England Journal of Medicine contains an article examining the impacts of long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) and increased glucocorticoids in black patients. Researchers conducted two prospective, randomized, double-blind trials, one with children and the other with adolescents and adults. Children’s Hospital of Oakland was one of the sites for this study.
All participants in the study had “at least one grandparent who identified as black and had asthma that was inadequately controlled with low-dose inhaled glucocorticoids.” Researchers compared several combinations of therapy, and used a composite measure to evaluate “asthma exacerbations, asthma-control days, and lung function.” After analyzing the results, researchers concluded “in contrast to black adolescents and adults, almost half the black children with poorly controlled asthma had a superior response to an increase in the dose of an inhaled glucocorticoid and almost half had a superior response to the addition of a LABA.
To view the article’s abstract, click here.