Warning to asthma sufferers: Using inhalers at certain times of day could increase risk of attack
Scientists have found the optimal time asthma patients should use inhalers to slash the risk of a potentially deadly attack.
Those who use a brown inhaler — which prevents breathlessness — should use it in the afternoon, between 3pm and 4pm, academics from the University of Manchester discovered.
Tests found that the once-daily afternoon dose significantly improved lung function throughout the night, when fatal asthma attacks are most likely to happen.
In contrast, taking the medication in the morning, or splitting the dose between the morning and evening, didn't offer this benefit.
Experts said the study, published in the journal Thorax, is the first to highlight the importance of coordinating asthma treatment with the natural body clock.
Lung functionality in asthma sufferers naturally fluctuates throughout the day, with the majority of lung inflammation sparked during the night.
Head researcher Dr Hannah Durrington said the afternoon dosage method could reduce the need for higher doses of steroids, which can trigger adverse reactions in some patients.
While more research needs to be done, this simple change could also slash hospital admissions, the scientists added.
Experts say the treatment plan could slash hospital admissions as well as reduce steroid-related deaths
'Our findings occurred without any of the associated adverse effects or costs of taking higher doses of steroids', said Dr Durrington.
The first of its kind study examined 21 patients with asthma who were asked to take their inhalers three different ways.
Once they had completed a week of one treatment plan, the patients then switched to a different dosage pattern until they had all completed all three treatment plans.
These dosage patterns included a once daily dose in the morning, between 8am and 9am, a dose between 3pm and 4pm, and a half-dose split between morning and evening — the recommended dosage pattern in the UK.
The patients had a two-week break between each treatment plan.
The researchers found that while all regimes appeared to improve asthma control, the once-daily afternoon dose had the biggest impact on night-time lung function.
Studies show that up to three quarters of patients experience worsening symptoms overnight, while around 80 per cent of fatal asthma attacks occur at night.
Commenting on the study, Dr Erika Kennington, head of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, said it was a 'brilliantly simple' study which had major implications for patients.
'It’s incredible to think that something so easy as switching the timing of your inhaler dose to the afternoon, has the potential to improve your symptoms and ultimately could save your life,' she said.
'Inhaler medication is vital to keep your asthma under control.
'It’s easy to forget that asthma attacks can be fatal and require daily management in the form of inhalers to stay healthy.'
The respiratory condition asthma affects around 7.2million people in the UK, and asthma attacks kill, on average, three people in Britain every day.
It affects the airways, or breathing tubes, that carry air in and out of the lungs, causing them to become inflamed.
This makes the airways narrower so less air gets into and out of the lungs.
Symptoms include wheezing, breathlessness, a cough or a tight chest — and are often triggered by factors in the environment like pollution, stress or a cold.
Inhalers work to control the disease by reducing the number of blood cells that contribute to the lung inflammation.
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