Beta-2 agonists
- Relax bronchial smooth muscle
- SABAs rescue; LABAs provide long control
- Asthma LABA generally needs ICS coverage
- Tremor, tachycardia + hypokalemia can occur
- Overuse of rescue beta-2 drug is a warning sign
- COPD use differs from asthma strategy
Class at a glance
- Relax bronchial smooth muscle
Practical pearls
- SABAs rescue; LABAs provide long control
- Asthma LABA generally needs ICS coverage
Clinical role
- Tremor, tachycardia + hypokalemia can occur
- COPD use differs from asthma strategy
Other practical pearls
- Overuse of rescue beta-2 drug is a warning sign
Self-check
- How do SABAs and LABAs differ clinically?
SABAs rescue; LABAs provide long control. - What should generally accompany a LABA in asthma?
ICS coverage.
Drugs in this class (9)
Beta-2 agonists prescription history
Animated chart of estimated U.S. prescriptions per year, Asthma/COPD meds (1924–2026).
All drug classes · Open Beta-2 agonists in the interactive console ↗