Analysis of inhaled corticosteroid selection in patients with bronchial asthma using a questionnaire survey--effects of age, gender, and disease severity.
BACKGROUND
Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) has played an important role in the management of asthma. Although several kinds of ICSs are currently available, there is no established strategy for ICS selection.


METHODS
Using the data from the 2004 questionnaire surveys by the Niigata Asthma Treatment Study Group, we analyzed relationships between each patient and the ICS employed on the basis of patient background, asthma control and treatment, and indicated characteristics of ICS selection by the physician.


RESULTS
Of 2852 cases, 2279 (79.9%) were ICS users, and 1513 (66.4% of ICS users) were classified as being in the fluticasone propionate (FP) group, 438 (19.2%) in the budesonide (BUD) group, and 240 (10.5%) in the hydrofluoroalkane-beclomethasone (HFA-BDP) group, indicating that FP was a standard ICS in this study. The mean age was significantly lower in the BUD group (52.3+/-18.2 years) and was significantly higher in the HFA-BDP group (59.9+/-17.0 years) than that in the FP group (55.8+/-16.6 years). The proportion of female patients was significantly higher not in the HFA-BDP (46.5%) but in the BUD group (59.0%) than in the FP group (51.1%). These results indicated that BUD was frequently prescribed to young female and HFA-BDP was employed in the elderly patients irrespective of gender compared with FP.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study indicates that ICS selection is reasonably adapted to each patient's background at least in the surveyed area. We need to elucidate the characteristics of ICS selection further in the future as new ICS and devices are developed.
Ota
Kyuma
K
Division of Respiratory Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
Hasegawa
Takashi
T
Koya
Toshiyuki
T
Sakagami
Takuro
T
Sekikawa
Takashi
T
Toyabe
Shinichi
S
Akazawa
Kohei
K
Arakawa
Masaaki
M
Gejyo
Fumitake
F
Suzuki
Eiichi
E
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000367:Age Factors; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019819:Budesonide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D000068298:Fluticasone; D006801:Humans; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D005466:Fluorocarbons
D000730:Androstadienes; D001507:Beclomethasone; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D019819:Budesonide; D000068298:Fluticasone; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated; C094049:apaflurane; D005466:Fluorocarbons