Asthma patients can reduce their medication safely and save money, say researchers, who urge patients to do this only under professional guidance.
Asthma medication is expensive, and patients and their doctors often try out whether taking less is safe.
However, the researchers, who report their findings in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, say the decision to step down daily asthma medication is not without risk, yet there is limited data on how this might affect the condition.
To address this gap in information, lead author Dr. Matthew Rank, an allergy and immunology specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and colleagues compared outcomes of a group of patients who stepped down their asthma medication against an equivalent group that continued on the same level.
They looked at data on over 4,000 adults and children who were taking daily asthma medicines.
When they compared outcomes in the two groups, the team found that 89.4% of patients who stepped down their asthma medication had preserved asthma control, compared with 83.5% of those who were similarly eligible for step down but who maintained their medication level.
The study is also the first to examine the financial implications of reducing asthma medication. The analysis reveals that the average cost saving was $34 a month as a result of stepping down, compared with continuation of treatment level.
The team found stepping down did not incur additional cost due to hospital or emergency care, and there were also no additional indirect costs such as missed school or work days linked to stepping down, compared with retaining medication level.
Dr. Rank says the study is important because it suggests that, with appropriate guidance, many asthma patients may be able to safely reduce their medications. He adds:
“Many patients try to step down on their own but we encourage patients to work with their doctors before doing so.”
Medical News Today has also reported on another recently published study that suggests exercising 30 minutes a day can relieve asthma symptoms. The researchers found that asthma patients who did the recommended amount of exercise on a regular basis were nearly 2.5 times more likely to have good control of their symptoms, compared with non-exercisers.