Clinical experience with ciclesonide as maintenance treatment for not-well controlled mild and moderate asthma in adolescents

Abstract

Partially controlled or uncontrolled adolescent patients with mild or moderate asthma are common in real clinical practice. The current guidelines provide several options for their controller therapy correction. Further evaluation of clinical features of patients who may benefit from inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is needed. Thе aim of the study to examine response to 8-week treatment with ciclesonide in adolescents with previously not well controlled BA. Methods. 46 patients (mean age 14.8 ± 2.5 years, 73.9% boys) with asthma were included in the open prospective non-comparative study of the real clinical practice. They were treated with ciclesonide 160 μg/day in a pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) for 8 weeks and all had completed the 10 week. Changes in asthma control test (ACT) results, number of exacerbations, number of days without symptom-reliver inhalations, number of days of school absence due BA symptoms, spirometry results and adverse events were investigated between date of inclusion and after 8 weeks of treatment with ciclesonide 160 μg. Results. All patients had controlled BA after 8 weeks of treatment; there was statistically significant improvement of ACT median score (Q25; Q75), from 14 (12; 17) to 22 (21; 23) points. No school days were missed and no exacerbations were reported during 4 weeks before the end visit date. Number of patients with forced expiratory volume in 1st second (FEV1) was greater than 80%pred. (91.3%) and had increased by Visit 3 both compared to Visit 1 (37%, р = 0.0001) and archive data from previous year (67.4%, р = 0.001). Number of patients with positive bronchodilation test and median of FEV1 change had decreased. There were no adverse events of clinical interest during the study. Conclusion. Ciclesonide 160 μg/day (Asmalib®Air pMDI) is effective and safe and allows achievement and maintenance of controlled asthma course in adolescents.