National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines: what is new?

New guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma were released in 2007. Separate recommendations are presented for three separate age groups (ages 0-4, 5-11 andor= 12). Six pharmacologic steps of therapy are defined for each age group. Severity is assessed in patients not on long-term control medication as a guide to initiating therapy. Control is assessed in patients on long-term control therapy to determine whether a step up, no change or a step down in therapy is indicated. Before increasing pharmacologic therapy in patients with uncontrolled asthma, adverse environmental exposure, poor adherence and inadequately treated comorbidities should be considered as targets of therapy. Guidelines for the management of asthma exacerbations are also presented.