What are "leukotriene modifiers"?

What are "leukotriene modifiers"?

William Berger (Allergist and Immunologist) gives expert video advice on: How is asthma treated?; How important is it to identify my asthma triggers?; What side effects should I expect from my asthma medication? and more...

One of the chemicals that gets released in an asthma attack is a chemical called leukotriene. Leukotrienes are chemicals that cause bronchoconstriction, tightening of the airways. We used to refer to these chemicals as slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis, but recently they've developed a new name called leukotrienes. If we could somehow block leukotrienes, then we might be able to relieve the bronchospasm, the tightening of asthma. So there are new medications called leukotriene modifiers. They occur in tablet form, chewable tablet form, and there are several different brands. The key with leukotriene modifiers is that in the majority of cases these are add-on medications to patients who are already on inhaled cortical steroids. Rarely they're used as single agents because leukotriene is only one of many, many chemicals that cause the asthma reaction. So, as a result, leukotrienes will effect that chemical, leukotriene, but may not effect the other things that are going on in the inflammatory reaction, which is one of the things that inhaled cortical steroids can do.