LABA — Long-Acting Beta-Agonists

What LABA means

LABAs are bronchodilators that relax airway smooth muscle for roughly twelve hours or longer. Examples include salmeterol and formoterol. In asthma, LABAs must always be prescribed together with an inhaled corticosteroid because LABA monotherapy increases the risk of severe exacerbations.

LABA in clinical practice

The ICS–formoterol combination is central to modern guideline therapy because formoterol works quickly enough to double as the as-needed reliever. The ClinIQ asthma article covers which LABA-containing regimens exam questions expect at each treatment step.

Related abbreviations