Treatment of mild persistent asthma with low doses of inhaled budesonide alone or in combination with formoterol

Background: The optimal treatment for patients with mild asthma is uncertain. This study evaluated the effects of adding inhaled formoterol, a fast onset and long-acting beta agonist, to low dose inhaled budesonide for 1 year, in patients with mild persisting asthma who were taking a low dose of inhaled corticosteroids (≤400 ug/day). Methods: The 1272 corticosteroid treated patients (mean baseline FEV1 86.54%) were assigned to twice daily …