2 Million People Suffer from Asthma; Daily Inhaled Steroids for Anti-inflammatory Reduce Acute Exacerbations
With 2 million people in Taiwan suffering from asthma, National Health Insurance has relaxed biologic coverage for severe asthma patients. The medical community advocates for daily inhaled steroid use for anti-inflammatory care, aiming to reduce acute exacerbations and systemic side effects.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 4, 2026 at 15:09
- 🔍 Collected: May 4, 2026 at 15:31 (22 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 4, 2026 at 15:34 (2 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Chen Chieh-ling, Taipei, May 4th) Two million people across Taiwan suffer from asthma, and National Health Insurance has relaxed biologic coverage for severe asthma patients. The medical community further calls for changing medication habits to 365 days of daily care with inhaled steroids for maintenance control to reduce acute exacerbations, precisely targeting the lungs and reducing systemic side effects.
According to the 2022 Taiwan Adult Asthma Clinical Care Guidelines, approximately 2 million asthma patients in Taiwan, with only about 700,000 diagnosed and continuously monitored. Chen Yu-min, Chairman of the Taiwan Society of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, stated at a press conference today that prioritizing anti-inflammatory treatment is a consensus. Compared to passive emergency treatment, timely anti-inflammatory control should be used to reduce the risk of deterioration.
Chou Kun-ta, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Society of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, said that asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that is difficult to cure. When the airways are continuously stimulated by allergens or triggers, it causes mucosal edema and excessive mucus secretion, narrowing the airways and preventing sufficient air intake, leading to symptoms such as chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing.
In the past, patients often relied on short-acting reliever inhalers, which were emergency treatments that quickly relieved bronchial constriction but could not address the root problem of inflammation. Chou Kun-ta said that according to a study from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database, the prevalence of overuse of short-acting medications is about 16%. If patients use more than 3 short-acting reliever inhalers annually, the risk of severe deterioration increases by 1.7 times, and the risk of death increases to 1.9 times.
Chou Kun-ta stated that international important treatment guidelines have shifted from emergency relief to timely anti-inflammatory control. Daily maintenance control is key to reducing acute exacerbations and must ensure that all asthma patients have access to "anti-inflammatory inhaled therapy." A single acute oral steroid episode and the currently internationally aligned 365-day daily care inhaled steroid are both "steroids," but they are different.
Chou Kun-ta said that a single acute oral steroid episode acts systemically, with systemic side effects; a 365-day daily care inhaled steroid is like a bullet precisely hitting the target area, acting on the lungs with fewer systemic side effects. In addition, severe patients should introduce biologics early to precisely inhibit specific inflammatory mechanisms, which can not only improve symptoms but also reduce and stop the need for oral steroids.
Biologics have become an important part of long-term asthma management. In the past, they were a heavy burden for patients, costing tens of thousands of NT dollars per month. Now, severe asthma patients also welcome a new dawn in treatment. Chang Yu-pin, Deputy Director of the National Health Insurance Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated that this year, the health insurance coverage conditions for some biologics for severe eosinophilic (acidophilic) asthma have been relaxed.
Chang Yu-pin said that the relaxation of biologic coverage conditions shortens the oral steroid threshold from 6 months to 3 months, allowing more patients to intervene early in treatment, reducing the burden of disease while also helping to improve overall prognosis. He hopes that patients in need will actively discuss with their doctors and choose appropriate medications, with doctors and patients working together to improve asthma treatment outcomes in Taiwan. (Edited by Chen Ren-hua) 1150504
Choose to stand with facts, your every sponsorship is the power to guard press freedom.
Download Central News Agency's 'First-hand News' APP to get the latest news in real-time.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcasted, transmitted, or utilized without authorization.
(Central News Agency reporter Chen Chieh-ling, Taipei, May 4th) Two million people across Taiwan suffer from asthma, and National Health Insurance has relaxed biologic coverage for severe asthma patients. The medical community further calls for changing medication habits to 365 days of daily care with inhaled steroids for maintenance control to reduce acute exacerbations, precisely targeting the lungs and reducing systemic side effects.
According to the 2022 Taiwan Adult Asthma Clinical Care Guidelines, approximately 2 million asthma patients in Taiwan, with only about 700,000 diagnosed and continuously monitored. Chen Yu-min, Chairman of the Taiwan Society of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, stated at a press conference today that prioritizing anti-inflammatory treatment is a consensus. Compared to passive emergency treatment, timely anti-inflammatory control should be used to reduce the risk of deterioration.
Chou Kun-ta, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Society of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, said that asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that is difficult to cure. When the airways are continuously stimulated by allergens or triggers, it causes mucosal edema and excessive mucus secretion, narrowing the airways and preventing sufficient air intake, leading to symptoms such as chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing.
In the past, patients often relied on short-acting reliever inhalers, which were emergency treatments that quickly relieved bronchial constriction but could not address the root problem of inflammation. Chou Kun-ta said that according to a study from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database, the prevalence of overuse of short-acting medications is about 16%. If patients use more than 3 short-acting reliever inhalers annually, the risk of severe deterioration increases by 1.7 times, and the risk of death increases to 1.9 times.
Chou Kun-ta stated that international important treatment guidelines have shifted from emergency relief to timely anti-inflammatory control. Daily maintenance control is key to reducing acute exacerbations and must ensure that all asthma patients have access to "anti-inflammatory inhaled therapy." A single acute oral steroid episode and the currently internationally aligned 365-day daily care inhaled steroid are both "steroids," but they are different.
Chou Kun-ta said that a single acute oral steroid episode acts systemically, with systemic side effects; a 365-day daily care inhaled steroid is like a bullet precisely hitting the target area, acting on the lungs with fewer systemic side effects. In addition, severe patients should introduce biologics early to precisely inhibit specific inflammatory mechanisms, which can not only improve symptoms but also reduce and stop the need for oral steroids.
Biologics have become an important part of long-term asthma management. In the past, they were a heavy burden for patients, costing tens of thousands of NT dollars per month. Now, severe asthma patients also welcome a new dawn in treatment. Chang Yu-pin, Deputy Director of the National Health Insurance Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated that this year, the health insurance coverage conditions for some biologics for severe eosinophilic (acidophilic) asthma have been relaxed.
Chang Yu-pin said that the relaxation of biologic coverage conditions shortens the oral steroid threshold from 6 months to 3 months, allowing more patients to intervene early in treatment, reducing the burden of disease while also helping to improve overall prognosis. He hopes that patients in need will actively discuss with their doctors and choose appropriate medications, with doctors and patients working together to improve asthma treatment outcomes in Taiwan. (Edited by Chen Ren-hua) 1150504
Choose to stand with facts, your every sponsorship is the power to guard press freedom.
Download Central News Agency's 'First-hand News' APP to get the latest news in real-time.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcasted, transmitted, or utilized without authorization.