Pharmacologic Control of Asthma

gic oral agents include chemical mediator release inhibitors, H 1 -antihistamines, thromboxane A 2 antagonists/ synthase inhibitors, leukotriene antagonists, and Th2 cytokine inhibitors. In Japan, drug compliance among patients tends to be very good with oral agents. Such oral drugs distribute well from the blood stream to the bronchi, even to areas of poor ventilation. However, higher doses are required than when administering the same drug by inhalation, and there is a higher incidence of systemic adverse effects. The physician must therefore carefully consider the balance between desired effects and potential adverse reactions when selecting an appropriate combination of inhaled and oral drugs for each patient.