Corticosteroid doses for asthma halved with CFC-free inhalers

Abstract

In addition to being environmentally friendly, using the new chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-free metered-dose inhalers to deliver corticosteroids to patients with asthma is just as effective as using conventional inhalers, even when significantly lower doses of corticosteroid are used. Use of the new inhalers also appears to be associated with a considerable reduction in the amount of corticosteroid deposited in patients’ throats. Evidence supporting these claims was presented at the 1996 Annual Meeting of the European Respiratory Society [ Stockholm, Sweden; September 1996 ].