Abstract
Purpose of review: Severe asthma is a serious condition that requires an individualized approach combining several treatment agents administered simultaneously in order to reach adequate control. Glucocorticosteroid treatment, as the cornerstone of asthma pharmacotherapy, has great disease-controlling capability, although it may induce a vast amount of severe adverse effects.
This review describes our current knowledge of the monitoring and managing options of these adverse effects and possibilities to prevent them, including new therapeutic options. Recent findings: A large amount of new drugs is emerging, which may offer a better control of glucocorticosteroid-induced adverse effects.
At the same time, major achievements in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms in severe asthma and in the field of biologic agents may help to substantially reduce the need of glucocorticosteroids in the first-line treatment. Summary: We discuss new insights and approaches to treatment strategy of severe asthma allowing less oral glucocorticosteroid use and hence, substantial less severe adverse effects of the treatment.