Salmeterol/fluticasone combination in COPD: is together better?

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease represents one of the chronic conditions for which many therapies have become available during the last few decades. They are aimed at reducing symptoms such as dyspnea, cough and sputum and many of them are given on inhalatory route. Among them, bronchodilators, such as; salmeterol or formoterol and inhaled steroids, such as budesonide or fluticasone have each proven their effectiveness in improving many clinical outcomes such as dyspnea, exacerbations number, lung function decline or health status. Currently combinations of these two classes are available in an attempt to make the inhalatory therapy more effective. These studies analyse the effectiveness of salmeterol/fluticasone combination from a clinical point of view and for a short period of time.