Regular medication can ease severe asthma attacks

A quarter of severe asthma attacks could be averted if only patients took their prescribed medication regularly, according to a new study by the Henry Ford Hospital
“Our findings demonstrated a relationship between medication adherence and asthma events in a manner that accounts for the changing patterns of inhaler use over time,” says study co-author Keoki Williams, an Internal Medicine physician and associate director of Henry Ford’s Center for Health Policy and Health Service Research.
Henry Ford researchers say this is the first time that asthma medication use has been tracked closely over time and related to the likelihood of severe asthma attacks
More than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, which accounts for nearly half a million hospitalizations in the US annually, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) medication is the most effective treatment for controlling symptoms and preventing attacks, which can lead to a visit to the emergency department or hospitalization or death if left untreated.
Source:IANS