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. 2025 Jan 1;53(1):12-25.
doi: 10.15586/aei.v53i1.1183. eCollection 2025.

Trends in prescribing montelukast in patients with asthma in real-life: Results from the Turkish adult asthma registry

Şengül Beyaz  1   2 , Münevver Erdinç  3 , Serhat Hayme  4 , Ayşe Feyza Aslan  5 , Ömür Aydın  6 , Derya Gökmen  7 , Gözde Köycü Buhari  8 , Zeynep Çelebi Sözener  6   1 , Bilun Gemicioğlu  9 , İsmet Bulut  10 , Cihan Örçen  11 , Seçil Kepil Özdemir  12 , Metin Keren  10 , Ebru Damadoğlu  13 , Tuğçe Yakut  14 , Ayşe Füsun Kalpaklıoğlu  15 , Ayşe Baccıoğlu  15 , Sümeyra Alan Yalım  15 , İnsu Yılmaz  16 , İlkay Koca Kalkan  8 , Mehmet Atilla Uysal  17 , Elif Yelda Özgün Niksarlıoğlu  17 , Ali Fuat Kalyoncu  13 , Gül Karakaya  13 , Müge Erbay  18 , Sibel Naycı  19 , Fatma Merve Tepetam  10 , Aslı Akkor Gelincik  5 , Hülya Dirol  20 , Özlem Göksel  21 , Selen Karaoğlanoğlu  1 , Ferda Öner Erkekol  22   23 , Sacide Rana Isık  24 , Füsun Yıldız  25   26 , Yasemin Yavuz  7 , Dilek Karadoğan  27 , Nurgül Bozkurt  20 , Ümmühan Şeker  28 , İpek Kıvılcım Oğuzülgen  29 , İlknur Başyiğit  25 , Serap Argun Barış  25 , Elif Yılmazel Uçar  30 , Tuba Erdoğan  31 , Mehmet Polatlı  32 , Dane Ediger  33 , Fatma Esra Günaydın  33 , Murat Türk  16   34 , Leyla Pür  35 , Zeynep Yeğin Katran  10 , Yonca Sekibağ  9 , Enes Furkan Aykaç  9 , Dilşad Mungan  6 , Özcan Gül  6 , Ali Cengiz  6 , Bülent Akkurt  12 , Şeyma Özden  10 , Semra Demir  5 , Derya Ünal  5 , Ali Can  5 , Reyhan Gümüşburun  21 , Gülhan Boğatekin  21 , Hatice Serpil Akten  21 , Sinem İnan  21 , Aliye Candan Öğüş  20 , Murat Kavas  10 , Demet Polat Yuluğ  36 , Mehmet Erdem Çakmak  13 , Saltuk Buğra Kaya  13 , Gülistan Alpagat  15 , Eylem Sercan Özgür  19 , Oğuz Uzun  37 , Şule Taş Gülen  32 , Gülseren Pekbak  33 , Deniz Kızılırmak  38 , Yavuz Havlucu  38 , Halil Dönmez  39 , Bahar Arslan  16 , Gülden Paçacı Çetin  16 , Şadan Soyyiğit  22 , Bilge Yılmaz Kara  27 , Gülden Paşaoğlu Karakış  40 , Adile Berna Dursun  39   41 , Reşat Kendirlinan  42 , Ayşe Bilge Öztürk  43 , Can Sevinç  44 , Gökçen Ömeroğlu Şimşek  44 , Öznur Abadoğlu  45 , Pamir Çerçi  46 , Taşkın Yücel  47 , İrfan Yorulmaz  48 , Zahide Çiler Tezcaner  48 , Emel Çadallı Tatar  49 , Ahmet Emre Süslü  47   50 , Serdar Özer  47 , Engin Dursun  51 , Arzu Yorgancıoğlu  38 , Gülfem Elif Çelik  6
Affiliations

Trends in prescribing montelukast in patients with asthma in real-life: Results from the Turkish adult asthma registry

Şengül Beyaz et al. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). .

Abstract

Montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) approved for the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis, is widely used, though real-world data on its application in asthma management remain limited. This registry-based study evaluated the use of montelukast in adult asthma patients, examining demographic and disease characteristics, asthma control status, asthma phenotypes, presence of atopy, and treatment regimens. Among 2053 patients analyzed, 61.76% (n = 1268; mean age: 46.2 ± 14.3 years), predominantly females (~76%), received montelukast. Montelukast users showed higher rates of allergic rhinitis (P < 0.001), hypersensitivity to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (P = 0.008), and chronic rhinosinusitis (P = 0.008). Montelukast group also had higher atopy and total IgE levels and tended to be more eosinophilic. Montelukast was commonly preferred in allergic, eosinophilic, NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease, and severe asthma phenotypes (P < 0.001). Patients receiving Steps 4 and 5 treatments are more likely to be prescribed montelukast (P < 0.001). Montelukast usage was higher among patients with uncontrolled asthma [ACT< 20 (OR:1.29, 95%CI:1.052-1.582, P = 0.014)]. In addition, logistic regression analyses identified the main factors associated with increased montelukast use as; female gender (OR:1.33, 95%CI:1.041-1.713, P = 0.02), presence of atopy (OR:1.46, 95%CI:1.157-1.864, P = 0.002), comorbid allergic rhinitis (OR:2.12, 95%CI:1.679-2.293, P < 0.001), and severe asthma (OR:2.18, 95%CI:1.712-2.784, P < 0.001). These findings reveal that montelukast use is prevalent among asthma patients, particularly in females, middle-aged adults, and those with comorbid allergic rhinitis, uncontrolled asthma, or specific asthma phenotypes, underscoring the factors that influence its prescription in asthma management.

Keywords: asthma; asthma treatment; leukotriene receptor antagonists; montelukast.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

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