TY - JOUR T1 - Low dose budesonide improved asthma control in mild asthma; adding formoterol improved control in corticosteroid treated patients JF - Evidence Based Medicine JO - Evid Based Med SP - 120 LP - 120 DO - 10.1136/ebm.7.4.120 VL - 7 IS - 4 A2 - , Y1 - 2002/07/01 UR - http://ebm.bmj.com/content/7/4/120.abstract N2 - (2001) Am J Respir Crit Care Med 164, 1392; O’Byrne PM, Barnes PJ, Rodriguez-Roisin R, et al.. Low dose inhaled budesonide and formoterol in mild persistent asthma: the OPTIMA randomized trial.. Oct 15;. :. –7.OpenUrlPubMedWeb of Science
 
 QUESTION: In patients with mild asthma, do regular low doses of inhaled budesonide, with or without low doses of inhaled formoterol, reduce severe exacerbations and improve asthma control? Randomised {allocation concealed*}†, blinded {patients, clinicians, data collectors, outcome assessors, data analysts, and monitoring committee}†,* placebo controlled trial with 1 year of follow up. 198 centres in 17 countries. 1970 patients who were ≥ 12 years of age and had mild asthma. 698 corticosteroid free patients (group A) (mean age 31 y, 60% women) had not used an inhaled corticosteroid for ≥ 3 months and had an FEV1 ≥ 80% of predicted normal after inhaling terbutaline, 1 mg. 1272 corticosteroid treated patients (group B) (mean age 37 y, 57% women) were receiving ≤ 400 μg/day of inhaled budesonide or the equivalent for ≥ 3 months, with an FEV1 ≥ 70% of predicted normal after terbutaline. Data from 1947 patients (99%) were included in the analysis. During a 4 week run-in period, group A patients … ER -