July 29, 2014
SMART regime stems asthma in Maori
The Asthma Foundation is overhauling the New Zealand Asthma Guidelines so they are more relevant for Maori.
Medical director Kyle Perrin says the 2002 guidelines no longer reflect best practice
International guidelines include medications that are either not available in New Zealand or are not funded by Pharmac.
They also address issues for Maori, who are twice as likely to be hospitalised for asthma than non- Maori.
Dr Perrin says research shows Maori respond well to the SMART regime, which combines two types of common asthma medications in one inhaler for both preventive and rescue treatment.
Fifteen percent of participants in the study were Maori, and it found compared to others in the study, they were less likely to have an asthma attack, less likely to go to hospital, and did not need to use other medication.
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