Combination therapeutic approach for asthma and allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Asthma and allergic rhinitis are symptomatically as well as pathophysiologically overlapping conditions and their prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate. Despite significant progress in pathophysiology of asthma and allergic rhinitis and availability of several therapies in recent years, a true and complete cure for asthma and allergic rhinitis so far seems out of reach.

OBJECTIVE: To review clinical efficacy & tolerability, pharmacoeconomics, quality of life, outcomes of several clinical trails based on combination therapy for asthma and allergic rhinitis.

DATA SOURCES: Computer-assisted MEDLINE searches for articles on phathophysiology, clinical trials on combination therapy for asthma and allergic rhinitis, treatment guidelines.

SELECTION: Published articles and pertinent abstracts (1981--2006) on the topics identified above were selected.

RESULTS: The pathophysiology of asthma and allergic rhinitis is a complex cascade of events and mono therapy with drugs, which inhibits synthesis and release of a mediator or blocks the receptors of respective mediators, does not result in complete relief in the symptoms. From several clinical trials it can be concluded that combination therapy with two or more drugs may provide additive or synergistic benefits in blocking pathophysiological endpoints and also complement each other by blocking a broad spectrum of inflammatory processes than that provided by either drug alone.

CONCLUSION: From the available scientific data from clinical trials it can be concluded that combination therapeutic approach may be a viable option for the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis.