Anticholinergics in asthma: are we utilizing asthma therapies effectively?

Abstract

Christian Vogelberg Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, GermanyData have shown that asthma is the most prevalent chronic respiratory disease, affecting 358 million people worldwide in 2015.1 While data show that the age-standardized asthma-related death rate decreased by 58.8% from 1990–2015,1 asthma still represents a significant burden in terms of morbidity.2 As such, there is an important role for utilizing add-on therapy options. The focus of this review series is on the use of long-acting anticholinergic add-on therapy to reduce asthma morbidity.

Keywords

• asthma
• anticholinergic
• tiotropium
• adult
• children
• preschool children
• inhaler