Which two drug groups can cause problems for those with asthma?

Which two drug groups can cause problems for those with asthma?

• A. NSAIDs and beta blockers
• B. Antibiotics and diuretics
• C. ACE inhibitors and statins
• D. Antihistamines and decongestants

Answer: (A)

Worsening asthma can happen when certain medications provoke bronchoconstriction or airway inflammation. NSAIDs can trigger bronchospasm in people with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease by blocking cyclooxygenase and shunting arachidonic acid toward leukotrienes, which tighten the airways and amplify inflammation. Beta blockers can worsen asthma by blocking beta-2 receptors in the lungs, leading to bronchoconstriction; this is especially true for nonselective beta blockers, though caution is advised even with cardioselective ones at higher doses. Other drug groups listed don’t typically provoke asthma in the same way: ACE inhibitors can cause a cough or angioedema rather than direct bronchoconstriction; antibiotics and diuretics have different side-effect profiles; antihistamines and decongestants are generally not implicated in triggering bronchospasm and are often used to manage allergic symptoms.

Worsening asthma can happen when certain medications provoke bronchoconstriction or airway inflammation. NSAIDs can trigger bronchospasm in people with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease by blocking cyclooxygenase and shunting arachidonic acid toward leukotrienes, which tighten the airways and amplify inflammation. Beta blockers can worsen asthma by blocking beta-2 receptors in the lungs, leading to bronchoconstriction; this is especially true for nonselective beta blockers, though caution is advised even with cardioselective ones at higher doses.

Other drug groups listed don’t typically provoke asthma in the same way: ACE inhibitors can cause a cough or angioedema rather than direct bronchoconstriction; antibiotics and diuretics have different side-effect profiles; antihistamines and decongestants are generally not implicated in triggering bronchospasm and are often used to manage allergic symptoms.