Toward effective prescription of inhaled corticosteroids in chronic airway disease

Zuzana Diamant,1–3 Guy Brusselle,4 Richard E Russell5,6 1Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; 2Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; 3QPS-Netherlands, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; 4Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; 5Respiratory Medicine Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; 6Lymington New Forest Hospital, Southern Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Lymington, Hampshire, UKThe airway diseases asthma and COPD affect millions of individuals worldwide.1 These diseases are major determinants of chronic morbidity and mortality, and represent a substantial public health burden.2–4 Despite differences in etiology, clinical characteristics, and pathophysiology, both conditions share important features, such as airway obstruction and chronic airway inflammation. As a result of modern lifestyle, the incidence of both diseases is steadily increasing worldwide and effective preventive and treatment strategies are unmet needs.