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International trends in sales of inhaled fenoterol, all inhaled beta-agonists, and asthma mortality, 1970-1992.
- Source :
-
Journal of clinical epidemiology [J Clin Epidemiol] 1997 Mar; Vol. 50 (3), pp. 321-8. - Publication Year :
- 1997
-
Abstract
- To evaluate the hypothesis that fenoterol or all inhaled beta-agonists caused an epidemic of asthma mortality in New Zealand from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, we examined trends from 1970 to 1992 in per capita sales of inhaled fenoterol, inhaled beta-agonists, and asthma mortality in New Zealand and nine other countries that marketed fenoterol. During the last two decades, there has been a large and widespread increase in sales of inhaled beta-agonists, including fenoterol. Asthma mortality in most countries, however, has been relatively stable. Only New Zealand experienced an epidemic of asthma mortality. In addition, sales rates of fenoterol similar in magnitude to those in New Zealand near the peak of the epidemic also occurred in Belgium, Austria, and Germany, while asthma mortality in these countries remained low. Also, sales rates of all beta-agonists in Australia were similar to those in New Zealand, but no epidemic of asthma mortality occurred in Australia. Therefore, the difference between asthma mortality rates in New Zealand and other countries is not explained by differences in per capita sales of fenoterol or all beta-agonists. Within New Zealand, the beginning and end of the epidemic correlated with a rise and fall in sales of all beta-agonists, including fenoterol. From 1980 to 1989, however, sales of fenoterol and all beta-agonists doubled in New Zealand while asthma mortality declined by 40%. International data on medication sales and asthma mortality, therefore, do not point to a relation between asthma mortality and beta-agonists in general nor fenoterol in particular.
- Subjects :
- Administration, Inhalation
Adolescent
Adrenergic beta-Agonists administration & dosage
Adrenergic beta-Agonists therapeutic use
Adult
Asthma drug therapy
Asthma epidemiology
Child
Child, Preschool
Disease Outbreaks
Fenoterol administration & dosage
Fenoterol therapeutic use
Humans
New Zealand epidemiology
Pharmacoepidemiology
Adrenergic beta-Agonists adverse effects
Adrenergic beta-Agonists economics
Asthma mortality
Drug Industry economics
Fenoterol adverse effects
Fenoterol economics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0895-4356
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of clinical epidemiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 9120532
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0895-4356(96)00375-7