WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration warned Thursday that some patients using a popular asthma medication are more likely to face life-threatening complications and more likely to die from their symptoms than those who are not taking the drug.
Jan. 24, 2003
By Alice Chang, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
How does this article relate to me?
It is too early to say that taking Serevent is dangerous. Serevent (salmeterol) is a long-acting bronchodilator that helps keep the airways open for people with asthma. Although I have not been able to review this study, the most striking finding to me is that people taking Serevent WITHOUT an inhaled corticosteroid had a higher risk for serious lung problems and death. Inhaled corticosteroids are a mainstay of asthma treatment to control the inflammation that causes asthma. It may be treatment without inhaled corticosteroids that carries the higher risk, not the use of Serevent itself.
Without more details about this study, we cannot say that the people studied were similar, either. It is possible that the group of patients taking Serevent had more severe asthma than the group that did not. In fact, the article points out that black patients using Serevent were more likely to have lung problems and to die than white patients. Racial differences in asthma have long been recognized, in part due to socioeconomic factors. But it may be that genetic differences account for the severity of lung disease and the response to Serevent as a drug.
What changes do I need to make?
- Don't stop taking Serevent without talking to your health-care provider first.
- If you take Serevent but do NOT take inhaled corticosteroids, talk to your health-care provider. If your symptoms are significant enough to take Serevent, you should be taking an inhaled corticosteroid as well. Also discuss the newest combination salmeterol (Serevent)/fluticasone (Flovent) inhaler, Advair.
- If you are NOT taking inhaled corticosteroids, and you have symptoms of asthma (or use your bronchodilator inhaler) more than three times a week, talk to your health-care provider. The addition of this medication to control inflammation can dramatically improve your symptoms and lower your risk for serious illness and complications from your asthma.
What can I expect in the future?
Your health-care provider can make clearer recommendations once the study results are available for review. Depending on the flaws or the strengths of this study, these study results may or may not apply to you. An additional study to clarify the risks for Serevent use will probably be needed.
Related Areas:
Asthma
Drug Resource Center
