Inhaled corticosteroids in treatment of COPD: The potential of budesonide/formoterol combination

The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a worldwide epidemic, killing nearly 3 million
people annually worldwide. Since 1965, the age-adjusted mortality rates for COPD have jumped by
163%, representing the largest increase in mortality rates among all major causes of death in the
Western world (1). Even the most optimistic estimates suggest that COPD mortality rates will increase
by 50% over the next 15 years.
Until now, aside from smoking cessation and supplemental oxygen therapy for hypoxic patients,
no pharmacologic therapies have been demonstrated to enhance survival in COPD patients. The role
of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) as anti-inflammatory treatment remains disputable. Published data
are controversial and the leading experts had no united opinion about the benefits of using ICS. With
this summary we will try to present the modern concept about the benefits of using ICS as an antiinflammatory
treatment and the combination between ICS and long acting beta agonists (LABA) in
patients with COPD. We will draw our attention towards the combination of budesonide/formoterol
(BF) with summarizing published data so far.