Exciting new research has the potential to transform the lives of approximately 113 million children around the globe who are affected by asthma. A groundbreaking study has compared two types of asthma inhalers, revealing that a combination inhaler may offer greater relief than the traditional treatment.

In a pioneering randomized controlled trial that focused on children aged 5 to 15, an international team of researchers discovered that a 2-in-1 inhaler—combining the inhaled corticosteroid budesonide with the fast-acting bronchodilator formoterol—was significantly more effective than salbutamol, which is commonly used for asthma symptom relief.

The findings are uplifting, showing that this innovative inhaler led to a remarkable 45% reduction in asthma attacks among young users compared to those using salbutamol. Given that asthma attacks can pose serious risks to children's health, this advancement in treatment is an essential public health breakthrough.

While the budesonide-formoterol inhaler has been widely endorsed for adults, children have often been prescribed salbutamol. The results of this study, published in The Lancet, provide compelling evidence that could align pediatric asthma treatment guidelines with those recommended for adults.

Conducted by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand in collaboration with esteemed institutions like Imperial College London and the University of Auckland, the CARE study involved 360 children from New Zealand. These young participants were randomly assigned to receive either the combination inhaler or salbutamol for on-demand relief.

Over the course of a year, the trial revealed that children using the budesonide-formoterol inhaler experienced fewer asthma attacks, with an average of 0.23 attacks per participant compared to 0.41 for those using salbutamol. This means that if 100 children with mild asthma switched to the 2-in-1 inhaler, there would be 18 fewer asthma attacks each year. Importantly, the study confirmed that this combined inhaler is safe, with no significant differences in growth, lung function, or overall asthma control between the two groups.

Dr. Lee Hatter, the lead author of the study and Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the Institute, expressed enthusiasm about the findings: “For the first time, we have demonstrated that the budesonide-formoterol 2-in-1 inhaler, used as needed for symptom relief, can significantly reduce asthma attacks in children with mild asthma.”

Prof. Richard Beasley, the study's senior author, shared his optimism, stating, “Implementing these findings could be transformative for asthma management on a global scale.”

This remarkable research builds upon earlier studies in adults that promoted the use of the 2-in-1 inhaler as the preferred treatment for asthma relief. Prof. Andrew Bush, a co-author of the CARE study and a pediatric respiratory specialist, highlighted the emotional impact of asthma: “Having an asthma attack can be very scary for children and their parents. I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to prove that an inhaler that significantly reduces attacks—already a game-changer for adults—is safe for children with mild asthma as young as five."

This important discovery is a cause for celebration, and it's vital that families around the world hear this encouraging news. Share this uplifting information widely!