What do systematic reviews say?

Regular salmeterol vs salbutamol

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in all‐cause non‐fatal serious adverse events ‐ adults and adolescents compared with regular salbutamol (moderate certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 0.96 [0.85, 1.1]
  5 studies · 27002 participants
  Moderate

Regular salmeterol vs salbutamol

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in all‐cause non‐fatal serious adverse events ‐ children compared with regular salbutamol (moderate certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 1.37 [0.71, 2.64]
  3 studies · 1181 participants
  Moderate

Regular salmeterol vs salbutamol

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in asthma‐related mortality ‐ adults and adolescents compared with regular salbutamol (moderate certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 2.36 [0.78, 7.16]
  4 studies · 26463 participants
  Moderate

Regular salmeterol vs salbutamol

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in asthma‐related non‐fatal serious adverse events ‐ adults and… compared with regular salbutamol (low certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 0.94 [0.37, 2.34]
  3 studies · 1155 participants
  Low

Regular salmeterol vs salbutamol

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in asthma‐related non‐fatal serious adverse events ‐ children compared with regular salbutamol (low certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 1.04 [0.47, 2.31]
  3 studies · 1186 participants
  Low

Regular salmeterol vs salbutamol

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in all‐cause mortality ‐ adults and adolescents compared with regular salbutamol (moderate certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 1.28 [0.79, 2.05]
  4 studies · 26463 participants
  Moderate

Regular salmeterol vs salbutamol

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in all‐cause mortality ‐ children compared with regular salbutamol (low certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 0.04 [0, 2.97]
  3 studies · 1152 participants
  Low

Regular salmeterol vs placebo

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in all‐cause mortality ‐ adults and adolescents compared with placebo (moderate certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 1.33 [0.85, 2.08]
  10 studies · 29128 participants
  Moderate

Regular salmeterol vs placebo

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  4 studies · 1126 participants
  GRADE not reported

Regular salmeterol vs placebo

Regular salmeterol leads to higher all‐cause non‐fatal serious adverse events ‐ adults and adolescents compared with placebo (high certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 1.14 [1.01, 1.28]
  13 studies · 30196 participants
  High

Regular salmeterol vs placebo

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in all‐cause non‐fatal serious adverse events ‐ children compared with placebo (moderate certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 1.3 [0.82, 2.05]
  5 studies · 1333 participants
  Moderate

Regular salmeterol vs placebo

Regular salmeterol leads to higher asthma‐related mortality ‐ adults and adolescents compared with placebo (high certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 3.49 [1.31, 9.31]
  10 studies · 29128 participants
  High

Regular salmeterol vs placebo

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in asthma‐related non‐fatal serious adverse events ‐ adults and… compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 1.43 [0.75, 2.71]
  12 studies · 3841 participants
  Low

Regular salmeterol vs placebo

Regular salmeterol showed no clear difference in asthma‐related non‐fatal serious adverse events ‐ children compared with placebo (moderate certainty).

• Regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2008 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 1.72 [1, 2.98]
  5 studies · 1333 participants
  Moderate

Regular formoterol vs regular salmeterol

• Regular treatment with formoterol versus regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2012 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  3 studies · 1116 participants
  Low

Regular formoterol vs regular salmeterol

• Regular treatment with formoterol versus regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2012 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 156 participants
  Very low

Regular formoterol vs regular salmeterol

Regular formoterol showed no clear difference in all‐cause SAEs in adults compared with regular salmeterol (low certainty).

• Regular treatment with formoterol versus regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2012 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 0.77 [0.46, 1.28]
  3 studies · 1116 participants
  Low

Regular formoterol vs regular salmeterol

It is very uncertain whether regular formoterol changes all‐cause SAEs in children compared with regular salmeterol (very low certainty).

• Regular treatment with formoterol versus regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2012 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 0.95 [0.06, 15.33]
  1 study · 156 participants
  Very low

Regular formoterol vs regular salmeterol

Regular formoterol showed no clear difference in asthma‐related SAEs in adults compared with regular salmeterol (low certainty).

• Regular treatment with formoterol versus regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2012 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  OR 0.86 [0.29, 2.57]
  3 studies · 1116 participants
  Low

Regular formoterol vs regular salmeterol

• Regular treatment with formoterol versus regular treatment with salmeterol for chronic asthma: serious adverse events 2012 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 156 participants
  Very low