A Comparison of Salmeterol with Albuterol in the Treatment of Mild-to-Moderate Asthma

Abstract Background. An effective, long-acting bronchodilator could benefit patients with asthma who have symptoms not controlled by antiinflammatory drugs. We compared a new long-acting, inhaled β2-adrenoceptor agonist, salmeterol, with a short-acting β2-agonist, albuterol, in the treatment of mild-to-moderate asthma. Methods. We randomly assigned 234 patients (150 male and 84 female patients 12 to 73 years old) to one of three treatment groups: one group received 42 μg of salmeterol twice daily, one received 180 μg of albuterol four times daily, and one received placebo. Treatment was assigned in a double-blind fashion, and all patients could use supplemental inhaled albuterol as needed during the 12-week treatment period. Results. Measurements of the forced expiratory volume in one second, performed hourly for 12 consecutive hours, showed that a single dose of salmeterol produced a greater mean area under the curve than two doses of albuterol taken 6 hours apart (6.3 vs. 4.9 liter · hr, P<0.05). The di...