Comprehensive asthma management: Guidelines for clinicians

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by reversible airway obstruction and nonspecific airway hyperreactivity. Asthma is managed in s teps according to disease symptoms and severity. Treatment goals are to dec rease symptoms, improve pulmonary function, and reduce overall morbidity an d the associated cost of medical care. Antiasthma drugs are a key component of asthma management that are classified as either long-term-control medic ations that control symptoms and prevent disease exacerbations, or quick-re lief medications that rapidly relieve airway obstruction and acute asthma s ymptoms. Several new leukotriene (LT) modulators have been developed that p romise to improve asthma control, including LT receptor antagonists montelu kast and zafirlukast and the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor zileuton. Each decrea ses symptoms and the use of rescue medication, and improves pulmonary funct ion in patients with mild intermittent to moderate persistent asthma.