Biomaterial Database

Pharmacologic therapy for asthma: overview and historical perspective. 1999

D W Cockcroft

Department of Medicine, Royal University Hospital, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

For the 30 years between 1967 and 1997, pharmacologic therapy of asthma has consisted primarily of five classes of drugs, beta 2-agonists, anticholinergics, theophyllines, cromones, and corticosteroids. The first four of these classes of drugs have origins in herbal treatments going back 5000 or 6000 years. This article briefly reviews the history of asthma pharmacotherapy up to the late 1990s and outlines a current approach to the pharmacotherapy of asthma, which is but one component of an integrated overall approach to asthma treatment involving patient education and environmental control as well.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D004205	Cromolyn Sodium	A chromone complex that acts by inhibiting the release of chemical mediators from sensitized MAST CELLS. It is used in the prophylactic treatment of both allergic and exercise-induced asthma, but does not affect an established asthmatic attack.	Disodium Cromoglycate,Sodium Cromoglycate,Aarane,Bicromat Spray,Cromoglicic Acid,Cromoglycate,Cromoglycic Acid,Cromolyn,FPL-670,Intal,Lomudal,Nalcrom,Nasalcrom,Opticrom,Vicrom,Acid, Cromoglicic,Acid, Cromoglycic,Cromoglycate, Disodium,Cromoglycate, Sodium,FPL 670,FPL670
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000305	Adrenal Cortex Hormones	HORMONES produced by the ADRENAL CORTEX, including both steroid and peptide hormones. The major hormones produced are HYDROCORTISONE and ALDOSTERONE.	Adrenal Cortex Hormone,Corticoid,Corticoids,Corticosteroid,Corticosteroids,Cortex Hormone, Adrenal,Hormone, Adrenal Cortex,Hormones, Adrenal Cortex
D001249	Asthma	A form of bronchial disorder with three distinct components: airway hyper-responsiveness (RESPIRATORY HYPERSENSITIVITY), airway INFLAMMATION, and intermittent AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION. It is characterized by spasmodic contraction of airway smooth muscle, WHEEZING, and dyspnea (DYSPNEA, PAROXYSMAL).	Asthma, Bronchial,Bronchial Asthma,Asthmas
D013566	Sympathomimetics	Drugs that mimic the effects of stimulating postganglionic adrenergic sympathetic nerves. Included here are drugs that directly stimulate adrenergic receptors and drugs that act indirectly by provoking the release of adrenergic transmitters.	Amines, Sympathomimetic,Sympathomimetic,Sympathomimetic Agent,Sympathomimetic Drug,Sympathomimetic Agents,Sympathomimetic Drugs,Sympathomimetic Effect,Sympathomimetic Effects,Agent, Sympathomimetic,Agents, Sympathomimetic,Drug, Sympathomimetic,Drugs, Sympathomimetic,Effect, Sympathomimetic,Effects, Sympathomimetic,Sympathomimetic Amines
D049672	History, 19th Century	Time period from 1801 through 1900 of the common era.	19th Century History,19th Cent. History (Medicine),19th Cent. History of Medicine,19th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 19th Century,History of Medicine, 19th Cent.,History, Nineteenth Century,Medical History, 19th Cent.,Medicine, 19th Cent.,19th Cent. Histories (Medicine),19th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 19th (Medicine),Cent. History, 19th (Medicine),Century Histories, 19th,Century Histories, Nineteenth,Century History, 19th,Century History, Nineteenth,Histories, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 19th Century,Histories, Nineteenth Century,History, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Nineteenth Century Histories,Nineteenth Century History
D049673	History, 20th Century	Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.	20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History
D049690	History, Ancient	The period of history before 500 of the common era.	Ancient History,Ancient History (Medicine),Ancient History of Medicine,History of Medicine, Ancient,Medicine, Ancient History,Ancient Histories (Medicine),Ancient History Medicine,Ancient History Medicines,Histories, Ancient (Medicine),History Medicine, Ancient,History Medicines, Ancient,History, Ancient (Medicine),Medicine Ancient History,Medicines, Ancient History
D018680	Cholinergic Antagonists	Drugs that bind to but do not activate CHOLINERGIC RECEPTORS, thereby blocking the actions of ACETYLCHOLINE or cholinergic agonists.	Acetylcholine Antagonist,Acetylcholine Antagonists,Anti-Cholinergic,Anticholinergic,Anticholinergic Agent,Anticholinergic Agents,Cholinergic Receptor Antagonist,Cholinergic-Blocking Agent,Cholinergic-Blocking Agents,Cholinolytic,Cholinolytics,Anti-Cholinergics,Anticholinergics,Cholinergic Antagonist,Cholinergic Receptor Antagonists,Agent, Anticholinergic,Agent, Cholinergic-Blocking,Agents, Anticholinergic,Agents, Cholinergic-Blocking,Antagonist, Acetylcholine,Antagonist, Cholinergic,Antagonist, Cholinergic Receptor,Antagonists, Acetylcholine,Antagonists, Cholinergic,Antagonists, Cholinergic Receptor,Anti Cholinergic,Anti Cholinergics,Cholinergic Blocking Agent,Cholinergic Blocking Agents,Receptor Antagonist, Cholinergic,Receptor Antagonists, Cholinergic
D018927	Anti-Asthmatic Agents	Drugs that are used to treat asthma.	Anti-Asthmatic,Anti-Asthmatic Agent,Anti-Asthmatic Drug,Antiasthmatic,Antiasthmatic Agent,Antiasthmatic Drug,Anti-Asthmatic Drugs,Anti-Asthmatics,Antiasthmatic Agents,Antiasthmatic Drugs,Antiasthmatics,Agent, Anti-Asthmatic,Agent, Antiasthmatic,Agents, Anti-Asthmatic,Agents, Antiasthmatic,Anti Asthmatic,Anti Asthmatic Agent,Anti Asthmatic Agents,Anti Asthmatic Drug,Anti Asthmatic Drugs,Anti Asthmatics,Drug, Anti-Asthmatic,Drug, Antiasthmatic,Drugs, Anti-Asthmatic,Drugs, Antiasthmatic