QVAR Dosing: Keep in Mind …
- QVAR is effective in doses as low as 80 μg daily, and higher doses further improve lung function3
- Achieving QVAR’s degree of improvement in FEF25%-75% would require approximately 3.2 times the dose of a
large-particle ICS4
- Poor inhaler technique does not change the relative proportion of QVAR that is deposited in the small airways*3
*The clinical efficacy of better lung deposition is unknown.
References:
- Martin RJ. Therapeutic significance of distal airway inflammation in asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2002;109(2):S447-S460.
- Yanai M, Sekizawa K, Ohrui T, et al. Site of airway obstruction in pulmonary disease: direct measurement of intrabronchial pressure. J Appl Physiol. 1992;72:1016-1023.
- Zeidler M, Corren J. Hydrofluoroalkane formulations of inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of asthma. Treat Respir Med. 2004;3(1):35-44.
- Busse WW, Brazinsky S, Jacobson K, et al. Efficacy response of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate in asthma is proportional to dose and is improved by formulation with a new propellant. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999; 104:1215-1222.
- National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP). Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma—Full Report 2007. Bethesda, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; August 2007.
- QVAR Prescribing Information, IVAX Laboratories Inc., 2008.
- Pulmicort Prescribing Information, AstraZeneca LP, 2006.
- Flovent Prescribing Information, GlaxoSmithKline, 2007.
090649