title: Inhaled corticosteroid therapy does not control asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Randomized clinical trials demonstrate efficacy and show that inhaled corticosteroid therapy can control asthma, but details concerning their effectiveness in achieving this goal in the community are lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether inhaled corticosteroid therapy is effective in controlling asthma and to examine the rates of asthma control in relation to inhaled corticosteroid use outside the realm of randomized controlled trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Different populations were examined cross-sectionally to determine whether self-reported use of inhaled corticosteroids was associated with control of asthma. Subjects with asthma in the community and those attending a university-based asthma program were studied. The definition of asthma control was based on the recommendations of the Canadian Consensus Report. The elements of asthma control were examined in the context of the subject's stated use and dose of the inhaled corticosteroid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asthma was controlled in 20% (95% CI 18.7% to 21.3%) of the 3427 subjects included in the present study. Only 15% (95% CI 13.5% to 16.5%) of the 2437 subjects using inhaled corticosteroids exhibited asthma control compared with 33% (95% CI 31.1% to 35.9%) of the 990 subjects not using inhaled corticosteroids (P<0.000001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although it is known that inhaled corticosteroid therapy can result in asthma control in most individuals with asthma, the present study has shown that this result may not be attained outside the realm of randomized clinical trials. Inhaled corticosteroid use for asthma in a 'real world' setting appears to reflect disease severity.
authors.affiliation: Calgary COPD and Asthma Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. cowie@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cowie
authors.forename: Margot F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Underwood
authors.forename: Stephen K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D005938:Glucocorticoids