Effects of Reducing or Discontinuing Inhaled Budesonide in Patients with Mild Asthma

Abstract
In a previous study, we found that two years of treatment with an inhaled corticosteroid, budesonide, was more effective than treatment with an inhaled β2-agonist, terbutaline, in patients with newly diagnosed, generally mild asthma. We continued this study for a third year to investigate whether the steroid dose could be reduced or discontinued and what effect crossover of patients from β2-agonist therapy to corticosteroid therapy would have.