Beta-2 agonists (long-acting / LABAs)
- Long-acting bronchodilators
- COPD: core maintenance therapy
- Asthma: use WITH inhaled corticosteroid
- Formoterol rapid onset enables MART/AIR
- Salmeterol has slower onset
- Tremor/tachycardia can occur
- LABA monotherapy is unsafe in asthma
Class at a glance
- Long-acting bronchodilators
Members / distinctions
- COPD: core maintenance therapy
Clinical role
- Asthma: use WITH inhaled corticosteroid
- Formoterol rapid onset enables MART/AIR
Other member distinctions
- Salmeterol has slower onset
- Tremor/tachycardia can occur
- LABA monotherapy is unsafe in asthma
Pearls
- Can cause hypokalemia and hyperglycemia
- Monotherapy acceptable in COPD; asthma-death signal not seen there
Self-check
- Which LABA has slower onset?
Salmeterol. - Which LABA’s rapid onset enables MART/AIR when combined with an inhaled corticosteroid?
Formoterol.
Drugs in this class (6)
Beta-2 agonists (long-acting / LABAs) prescription history
Animated chart of estimated U.S. prescriptions per year, Asthma/COPD meds (1924–2026). Long-acting β₂ agonists highlighted from 1994.
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