Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40986121›Full record

ArticleCurrent allergy and asthma reports2025

4-Week Maintenance ICS-Formoterol versus ICS in Adults Newly Diagnosed Mild Asthma: Effects on Symptoms, Lung Function, and Inflammation.

Yan Zhou, Xue Zhang, Zichong Xu, Jinwen Wang, Yilin Pan, Yingying Zhang, Xue Tian, Yuning Huang, Chengjian Lv, Qi Zheng and 2 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Current allergy and asthma reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Yan Zhou *Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Xue Zhang *Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Zichong Xu *Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Jinwen WangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Yilin PanDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Yingying ZhangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Xue TianDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Yuning HuangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Chengjian LvDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Qi ZhengDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China.
Wuping BaoDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China. wupingbao1982@163.com.
Min ZhangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 100, Haining Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200080, China. maggie_zhangmin@163.com.ORCID 0009-0006-5026-0099

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China NO. 81900016National Natural Science Foundation of China NO. 82270027
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewThis study aimed to determine whether patients with newly diagnosed mild asthma benefit more from initiating treatment with maintenance inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) plus formoterol versus ICS alone. We compared the effects of these two 4-week maintenance strategies on asthma control, lung function, and airway inflammation. RECENT

findingsRecent evidence supports the effectiveness of as-needed ICS-formoterol in mild asthma management. However, data on initial short-term maintenance strategies remain limited. Most studies focus on long-term outcomes or symptom-driven therapy, with little insight into the early phase and its impact on inflammation and lung function. Notably, GINA 2024 emphasizes that "mild asthma" is a retrospective label and may not reliably guide the selection of the appropriate initial treatment step. Even in so-called mild asthma, severe outcomes may occur, highlighting the need for early, objective assessment to guide treatment decisions. In this retrospective analysis of two prospective studies including 128 patients with newly diagnosed mild asthma, both the ICS-formoterol and ICS groups showed improvements in asthma control, lung function, and airway inflammation. However, the ICS-formoterol group achieved significantly greater improvements in Asthma Control Test scores, Asthma Control Questionnaire scores, large airway function (FEV

Indexed as

Adrenal Cortex HormonesAnti-Asthmatic AgentsAsthmaFormoterol FumarateAdministration, InhalationAdultFemaleHumansInflammationMaleRespiratory Function TestsRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAdrenal Cortex HormonesAnti-Asthmatic AgentsFormoterol FumarateAirway inflammationBudesonideFormoterolInhaled corticosteroid (ICS)Mild bronchial asthmaSalbutamol

Identifiers

PMID40986121

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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.