Salmeterol in the treatment of chronic asthma.

Salmeterol is a highly selective beta 2-adrenoreceptor agonist with a long duration of action--as long as 12 hours or more. When inhaled twice daily in the management of chronic asthma, salmeterol can improve lung function and the quality of life for patients with asthma, and reduce acute asthma exacerbations. It is also a useful adjunct in the treatment of exercise-induced asthma and nocturnal asthma. In patients who continue to have symptomatic asthma despite the regular use of an inhaled corticosteroid, salmeterol acts as a secondary controller of symptoms and reduces the need for inhaled short-acting beta 2-agonist "rescues". Since salmeterol is different from other beta 2 agonists, patients must be carefully educated in its proper use. Salmeterol should be administered in combination with an inhaled anti-inflammatory medication as adjunctive therapy, but it should not be used for rescue bronchodilatation.