Asthma treatment: inhaled beta-agonists.

Short acting beta-agonists provide symptom relief with a rapid onset of bronchodilation, and protect against exercise-induced asthma and the early asthmatic response to allergen. They remain the most commonly prescribed form of therapy in asthma. However, regular use as maintenance therapy for chronic asthma is no longer recommended. Frequent use increases airway hyper-responsiveness to allergen and nonspecific challenge, and in some studies …