Pulmonary pharmacology & therapeutics
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Pulm Pharmacol Ther · Dec 2016
Review Meta AnalysisLack of efficacy of nebulized magnesium sulfate in treating adult asthma: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Nebulized magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) has been used to treat asthma, but the efficacy remains controversial. We aimed to comprehensively review the efficacy of nebulized MgSO4 in treating adult patients with asthma. ⋯ Evidence to date suggests that nebulized MgSO4 has no role in the management of adult patients with acute or stable asthma.
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Pulm Pharmacol Ther · Dec 2016
ReviewEvaluating the role of leukotriene-modifying drugs in asthma management: Are their benefits 'losing in translation'?
Leukotrienes (LTs) initiate a cascade of reactions that cause bronchoconstriction and inflammation in asthma. LT-modifying drugs have been proved very effective to reduce inflammation and associated exacerbation however despite some illustrious clinical trials the usage of these drugs remains overlooked because the evidence to support their utility in asthma management has been mixed and varied between studies. Although, there are plenty of evidences which suggest that the leukotriene-modifying drugs provide consistent improvement even after just the first oral dose and reduce asthma exacerbations, the beneficial effect of these drugs has remained sparse and widely debated. ⋯ Therefore, in the present era of personalized medicine, it is important to properly stratify the patients and non-invasive measurements of biomarkers may warrant the possibility to characterize biological/pathological pathway to direct treatment to those who will benefit from it. Endotyping based on individual's leukotriene levels should probably ascertain a subgroup of patients that would clearly benefit from the treatment even though the trial fails to show overall significance. In this article, we have methodically evaluated contemporary literature describing the efficacy of LT-modifying drugs in the management of asthma and highlighted the importance of phenotyping the asthmatics for better treatment outcomes.