New asthma guidelines emphasize preventive care.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has released the first revision in six years of its groundbreaking asthma guidelines. The guidelines heavily emphasize the inflammatory nature of asthma and stress the use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as inhaled corticosteroids and cromolyn. Patients should receive aggressive treatment at first, and then cut back once their condition is under control, according to the guidelines. Changes from the previous edition include revised severity classifications, new guidelines for referral of patients, and renewed emphasis on patient education.