Fluticasone versus salmeterol/low-dose fluticasone for long-term asthma control.

Objective: To evaluate the relative clinical superiority of increasing the dose of fluticasone propionate versus the addition of salmeterol to low-dose fluticasone propionate for long-term asthma control.

Data Sources: Literature was identified by a MEDLINE search (1966-October 2002). Key search terms included asthma, inhalation, corticosteroid, beta-adrenergic agonist, and combination drug therapy.