Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39838356›Full record

SynthesisBMC medicine2025

Regular versus as-needed treatments for mild asthma in children, adolescents, and adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Prapaporn Pornsuriyasak, Sunatee Sa-Nguansai, Kunlawat Thadanipon, Pawin Numthavaj, Gareth J McKay, John Attia, Ammarin Thakkinstian

Abstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Comparative response to pharmacological management of asthma in overweight/obese childrenEuropean respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pediatric spontaneous-reporting patterns for biologics approved or used for asthma: Analysis of the FDA adverse event reporting system.Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology · 2026
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Prapaporn PornsuriyasakDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
Sunatee Sa-NguansaiOncology Unit, Department of Medicine, Rajavithi Hospital, College of Medicine, Rangsit University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
Kunlawat ThadaniponDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
Pawin NumthavajDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand. pawin.num@mahidol.edu.
Gareth J McKayCentre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
John AttiaCentre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Ammarin ThakkinstianDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are recommended treatment for mild asthma. We aimed to update the evidence on the efficacy and safety of ICS-containing regimens, leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA), and tiotropium relative to as-needed (AN) short-acting β2-agonists (SABA) in children (aged 6-11 years) and adolescents/adults.

methodsA systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of regular and AN treatment for mild asthma was conducted (CRD42022352384). PubMed, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched up to 31st March 2024. RCTs in children or adolescents/adults with mild asthma were eligible if they compared any of the following treatments: ICS alone or in combination with fast-acting bronchodilators (FABA, i.e., formoterol or SABA) or long-acting β2-agonists (LABA), LTRA, tiotropium, and SABA alone, for the following outcomes: exacerbations, asthma symptoms, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV

resultsThirteen RCTs in children and 29 in adolescents/adults were included. Regular ICS ranked best for preventing exacerbations and improving FEV

conclusionsRegular ICS use may be the most effective treatment for preventing exacerbation and increasing FEV

Indexed as

Adrenal Cortex HormonesAnti-Asthmatic AgentsAsthmaBronchodilator AgentsLeukotriene AntagonistsAdministration, InhalationAdolescentAdrenergic beta-2 Receptor AgonistsAdultChildHumansQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTiotropium BromideAdrenal Cortex HormonesAdrenergic beta-2 Receptor AgonistsAnti-Asthmatic AgentsBronchodilator AgentsLeukotriene AntagonistsTiotropium BromideAs-needed useInhaled treatmentsIntermittent asthmaMild asthmaNetwork meta-analysisRegular use

Identifiers

PMID39838356
PMCPMC11752773

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.