US experts back inhaled corticosteroids for asthma

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) Medications known as inhaled corticosteroids remain the best long-term treatment to control asthma in all ages, US federal health experts said today in new guidelines.

Inhaled corticosteroids include GlaxoSmithKline's Flovent and Advair, AstraZeneca's Pulmicort, Abbott's Azmacort, Teva Pharmaceuticals' Qvar and Schering-Plough's Asmanex.

The National Institutes of Health experts cited even stronger evidence that inhaled corticosteroids are generally safe and are the most effective drugs for reducing inflammation caused by asthma.

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