Tolerability Profiles of Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists and Long-Acting β2-Adrenoceptor Agonists in Combination with Inhaled Corticosteroids for Treatment of Asthma: A Review

Inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting β₂-adrenoceptor agonists, and leukotriene receptor antagonists are widely used for treatment of asthma. Inhaled corticosteroids are recommended as first-line therapy, whereas long-acting β₂-adrenoceptor agonists and leukotriene receptor antagonists are indicated as add-on therapy in patients not adequately controlled with corticosteroids alone. A number of studies have investigated the efficacy of combinations of these drugs in asthma, but several issues concerning the safety of these treatments are highly debated. This review provides a critical appraisal of the tolerability profiles of long-acting β₂-agonists and leukotriene receptor antagonists used in combination with inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of asthma.