The Itch: Allergies, Asthma, Eczema & Immunology19 Kesä 2025

#117 - BATURA Trial: Does a Combo Inhaler Help Mild Asthma?

There have been countless advances in controller therapies for asthma, but our go-to rescue inhaler, a quick-relief bronchodilator, hasn’t changed in decades.

In this episode of The Itch Review, we spotlight “As-Needed Albuterol–Budesonide in Mild Asthma” published in The New England Journal of Medicine, May 19, 2025. This article looks at the BATURA trial, which tested whether adding budesonide to albuterol rescue inhalers cuts exacerbations in adults whose mild asthma remains uncontrolled on occasional albuterol/short-acting beta agonist (SABA) therapy.

Could this combo inhaler really cut severe asthma attacks in people with mild disease?

What we cover in our episode about the BATURA trial:

Understanding asthma: In asthma, your airways both tighten up and get swollen. Treating both the tightness and the swelling right when you feel symptoms could stop a full-blown attack.
All-online trial: BATURA used telehealth to enroll 2,516 people with mild asthma from across the U.S. and ran the study until it saw a preset number of 172 serious attacks.
Big takeaways: The combo inhaler cut serious attacks by almost half, halved yearly flare-ups, and slashed steroid use by 63%. All without people needing to use their medication more often.
Why it ended early: An independent safety board reviewed the data mid-trial and concluded that the combo inhaler was so clearly better that it would’ve been unfair to continue giving anyone the old treatment.
What’s next: We still need studies on teens and children to ensure that these same benefits hold true for younger patients.

GET THE INFOGRAPHIC PDF HERE

***

The Itch Review, hosted by Dr. Gupta, Kortney, and Dr. Blaiss, explores the latest allergy and immunology studies, breaking down complex research in conversations accessible to clinicians, patients, and caregivers. Each episode provides key insights from journal articles and includes a one-page infographic in the show notes for easy reference.

***

This podcast is made in partnership with The Allergy & Asthma Network.

Thanks to AstraZeneca for sponsoring today’s episode.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for any medical concerns.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(172)

#170 - When Asthma Peak Week Hits Adults

Most asthma peak week coverage focuses on kids heading back to school. But adults with asthma are just as much at risk, and often don't realize it until they're already in trouble. Kortney and Dr. Pa...

13 Elo 29min

#169 - What a School Nurse Wants Parents to Know About Asthma Peak Week

Every September, doctors see a jump in asthma attacks and ER visits. It's called Asthma Peak Week, and it usually hits the third week of September, right when families are settling into their school r...

6 Elo 41min

#168 - Wildfire Smoke and Your Lungs, What You Need to Know

Wildfire smoke used to feel like someone else's problem. Now it can show up on air quality alerts hundreds of miles from any actual fire, and for anyone with asthma, that hazy sky can mean real troubl...

30 Heinä 23min

#167 - How Is Chronic Rhinosinusitis Without Nasal Polyps Diagnosed and Treated?

Chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) is the type that makes up most chronic sinusitis cases. It's often mistaken for allergies, a lingering cold, or migraines, which can delay a proper...

24 Heinä 28min

#166 - How Pregnancy and Your Baby's Gut Microbiome Play a Role in Food Allergy Prevention

Food allergy prevention is something most families think about once a baby starts eating. But the gut microbiome begins developing before birth, and what happens during pregnancy matters for the devel...

16 Heinä 21min

#165: Gut Microbiome's Role in Food Allergies

You have probably heard the word "microbiome", but what does it actually mean for someone living with a food allergy? Dr. Carina Venter, a registered dietitian, joins us to break down the gut’s role i...

9 Heinä 35min

#164 - New Chronic Hives Guidelines: A Look at What's Changing

In this journal club episode, we break down the draft of the Chronic Urticaria Guidelines: 2026 AAAAI/ACAAI Joint Task Force (JTF) on Practice Parameters GRADE- and Institute of Medicine-based recomme...

2 Heinä 32min

#163 - Understanding Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: Hives Demystified

Join Kortney and Dr. Payel Gupta as they unpack chronic spontaneous urticaria. Together, they define what hives actually are, explain how CSU is different from an allergic reaction and other types of ...

26 Kesä 22min