Introduction

Asthma is a common chronic heterogeneous condition with several characteristic features (%fig 1). It can present in early childhood as well as in adulthood, and it varies markedly in severity, clinical course, subsequent disability, and response to treatment. In common with other atopic disorders such as allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy, the prevalence of asthma has risen over the past few decades in both developed and developing countries.1 The increasing burden of asthma in primary and secondary care has led to extensive research into its genetics, pathophysiology, and treatment. In this review, we highlight some of the recent developments in the clinical management of asthma and identify key areas in which further research is needed.

Methods

We did a comprehensive literature search using Medline, Clinical Evidence, the Cochrane Library, and Embase. We used the following keywords in the search: acute asthma, chronic asthma, leucotriene receptor antagonist, long acting β2 agonist, inhaled corticosteroid, action plans, allergen, diet, magnesium, vitamin, Buteyko, anti-immunoglobulin E, and interleukin. We selected and extracted recent articles from 2000 onwards that we felt to be of relevance or interest to practising clinicians, as well as choosing topics that we were aware of being potentially important. All the authors are respiratory physicians with an interest in airways disease.

Chronic asthma