Talk:Obstructive lung disease

don't like the red box for asthma long acting B agonists

I'm sure I heard on the way to campus this morning on a podcast that the most severe type of asthma (and maybe others) often are treated with long acting B-agonists (in addition to oral and inhaled corticosteroids). I want to say it is type IV but I'm not sure on the classification system. I don't think it is appropriate to generalize asthma treatment - it should be broken down more in to the main types of asthma - each with different treatments (even when in a general Obsturctive lung disease article). Or, at least, something to this effect should be mentioned in the box if it is going to be red. Thoughts? Tom Kelly 11:20, 25 September 2008 (CDT)

Here's a CME article from today's Medscape, suggesting an increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events with long-acting inhaled beta-agonists, but in COPD: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/580980.

I wonder if there should be a line for short-acting beta-agonists. Are there data showing that use of beta-agonists more for symptom relief than chronically is appropriate. Of course, there could be several more rows, such as cromolyns, leukotriene inhibitors, and xanthines. Howard C. Berkowitz 12:07, 25 September 2008 (CDT)