Study to Assess the Incidence of Local Oropharyngeal and Laryngeal Adverse Effects of Advair DISKUS 250/50 mcg BID

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. The inflammation is associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, airflow obstruction, and respiratory symptoms including wheezing, coughing and chest tightness. Inhaled corticosteroids are the most effective controller asthma medications. They are indicated for management of persistent asthma at all levels of severity. They have been documented to improve symptoms and pulmonary function and reduce exacerbations, need for quick-relief medications and airway hyperresponsiveness. Despite their benefits, inhaled corticosteroids have been associated with adverse local effects. These include oral candidiasis and dysphonia. However, though these risks have been reported, they have not been carefully studied. The incidence of oral candidiasis in newly treated subjects and its onset within a carefully monitored timeframe have not been adequately assessed. A more overtly undesirable effect is dysphonia. Data on it are usually collected from spontaneous reports by patients in clinical trials. However, awareness of dysphonia requires a certain degree of subjective discomfort to initiate the report. Subjective awareness of dysphonia often varies based on an individuals voice requirements. A singer, for example, is usually acutely aware of minor voice changes in contrast to someone who does not depend on voice quality. Nonetheless, voice abnormalities can probably occur with similar frequency in patients who are concerned or not concerned with their voice due to inhaled corticosteroids. New subjective scales for reporting on an individual's voice have recently been validated and published in other areas. These scales have not been validated in patients with asthma or in subjects using inhaled corticosteroids. New technologies for objective voice assessment have also been developed and these permit greater ability to quantify voice changes. These advances permit better measures of the potential adverse effects of inhaled corticosteroids on voice both with regard to onset of abnormalities and with regard to magnitude of effects. This pilot study is an initial probe into clarifying the potential of the inhaled corticosteroid, fluticasone propionate delivered in the Advair DISKUS device to produce oral candidiasis and voice changes, and to determine the best measurement to quantitate objectively that effect.