What are xanthines, and what is their efficacy and side-effect profile as a maintenance treatment for asthma in children?

Label:chem

Topic
Xanthines, such as theophylline and aminophylline, have been used as bronchodilators and may also have anti-inflammatory effects in treating asthma.
Answer
Oral xanthines, including theophylline and aminophylline, are effective as a first-line preventative treatment for mild to moderate asthma in children, alleviating symptoms and reducing the need for rescue medication. They show similar efficacy to regular short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) and sodium cromoglycate (SCG) as a single preventative agent. However, compared to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), xanthines are less effective in preventing exacerbations and are associated with more frequent side effects like headache and nausea. While there is evidence for increased overall adverse effects compared to placebo, no specific adverse effect (including behavioral or attention issues) has been proven to occur more frequently. Xanthines may have a role as add-on therapy for more severe asthma not controlled by ICS, but further studies are needed to define their risk-benefit ratio against other agents in this role
Return to Home Chemical List
Knowledge you may be interested in
What are the key optical properties of theophylline crystals, and how do they contribute to their application in optical metamaterials? Why is the identification and quantification of xanthine important? Why has xanthine-based research not progressed rapidly, resulting in a limited number of synthesized xanthine-based molecules, despite its broad pharmaceutical applications and belongingness to the purine family? What is the sensing mechanism of acetone on In2O3? Why is acetone challenging to detect in breath? What are the key pure component parameters for acetone and carbon dioxide in the PCP-SAFT equation of state combined with Density Gradient Theory (DGT)? What molecular models were employed for acetone and carbon dioxide in the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations? Why is acetone detection important in human breath? What environmental and health concerns are associated with dye contaminants in wastewater, and why is methylene blue a particular focus in remediation efforts? Why is Cadmium sulfide (CdS) of interest for the production of photocatalysts? Why have previous attempts with engineered bacteria expressing uricase shown limited efficacy in reducing serum uric acid concentrations for hyperuricemia management? What are the details of the DCI-AC-NBS probe's synthesis? What are the primary uses and applications of isophorone, making it a technically important compound? What are the key properties and applications of the novel alkyne chromophores of isophorone derivatives (compounds I-VII)? Why was a new poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based conjugate developed? What is methyl methacrylate (MMA) and how is it generated from poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) pyrolysis? Besides methyl methacrylate (MMA), what other types of compounds are revealed in the pyrolyzates of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)? Why is fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) essential for initiating methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI)? How does Disulfiram work to prevent alcohol use disorder (AUD) reoccurrence? How does disulfiram's metabolite, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC), affect metal-containing enzymes?