Essence of the Japanese Guidelines for Adult Asthma

Abstract

The Japanese guidelines for adult asthma were first published in 1993 and have been updated every 3 years. The latest version of Japanese guidelines was updated in 2015 and the English version was published in 2017 (JGL 2017). In the latest guidelines, the definition, management, and treatment of asthma have been modified. In this chapter, we described the contents of the Japanese guidelines as compared to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines, especially focusing on treatment. In the JGL, the initial treatment and long-term management of asthma have been based on a stepwise approach. In the JGL, determination of the treatment steps differs between untreated and treated patients. In stable asthma, the use of low dose inhaled corticosteroid is recommended for the initial treatment at step 1 treatment in JGL because the goal of asthma management in JGL is to eliminate the symptoms. In contrast, no controller drug is recommended as the basic treatment at the step 1 treatment in GINA. This chapter overviews the treatment plans for asthma management in the Japanese guidelines and discusses some differences in the approach from GINA.