A goal of the 2007 NIH asthma guidelines: Reduce patients' impairments and risk of future flare-ups
Asthma flare-ups can occur throughout the year. Distinct annual patterns have been observed
in a retrospective study.19
AIM for Asthma Control — an opportunity at every scheduled office visit to help gain and maintain control by assessing patients’ asthma history, individualizing treatment based on their needs, and monitoring asthma during future office visits.
Assess patients symptoms, triggers, and comorbidites at every
scheduled office visit.
Assess level of impairment by asking about signs and symptoms of not-well-controlled asthma:
- β-agonist use >2 days/week
- Daytime asthma symptoms >2 days/week
- Nighttime asthma symptoms >2 times/month (>1 time/month for patients aged <4 years)
- Limitations in activity due to asthma
- Abnormal lung function (for patients aged >5 years)
Assess the future risk of exacerbations by asking about environmental factors and history:
- Any asthma flare-ups since their last visit
- Recurrence of asthma exacerbations at the same time of year
- Comorbid conditions
- Exposure to environmental asthma triggers
Assess your patients asthma with the Asthma Therapy
Assessment Questionnaire (ATAQ).
The NIH guidelines recommend scientifically validated
self-assessment tools such as ATAQ to help monitor
asthma control.
SINGULAIR is indicated for prophylaxis and chronic treatment of asthma in patients aged 12 months and older and for prevention of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in patients aged 15 years and older.
For prevention of EIB, a single dose of SINGULAIR should be taken at least 2 hours before exercise. An additional dose of SINGULAIR should not be taken within 24 hours of a previous dose.
Patients already taking 1 tablet daily for another indication should not take an additional dose to prevent EIB.
SELECTED SAFETY INFORMATION
- SINGULAIR should not be used as rescue medication to treat acute asthma episodes. Patients should be advised to have appropriate rescue medication available.
- Neuropsychiatric events have been reported in patients taking SINGULAIR. These events included agitation, aggressive behavior or hostility, anxiousness, depression, dream abnormalities, hallucinations, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, somnambulism, suicidal thinking and behavior (including suicide), and tremor. The clinical details of some postmarketing reports appear consistent with a drug-induced effect. Patients should be advised to report any neuropsychiatric events.
- Use of SINGULAIR may not eliminate the need for inhaled or systemic corticosteroids. Patients should not decrease the dose or stop taking any other antiasthma medications unless instructed by a physician.
- Safety and effectiveness of SINGULAIR in patients younger than 12 months with asthma have not been established.
Before prescribing SINGULAIR, please read the Prescribing Information.



