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Clinical Guidelines

VA DOD Updates Asthma Framework

The 2025 US Department of Veterans Affairs and US Department of Defense asthma guideline introduces 21 evidence-based recommendations for primary care, redefining stepwise treatment, comorbidity management, and reliever strategy.

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The 2025 clinical practice guideline by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense for asthma management emphasizes anti-inflammatory therapy through inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) as the primary strategy. Based on randomized trials involving approximately 22,000 patients, single-device maintenance and reliever therapy (SMART) significantly reduced severe exacerbations by about one-third. The guideline, aimed at primary care providers, recommends ICS for all patients, excluding short-acting beta-agonists (SABAs) for symptom relief, and focuses on managing co-morbid conditions to enhance asthma control.

Original Source(s)

VA DOD Updates Asthma Framework

The 2025 US Department of Veterans Affairs and US Department of Defense asthma guideline introduces 21 evidence-based recommendations for primary care, redefining stepwise treatment, comorbidity management, and reliever strategy.

  • by Kathryn Wighton

  • February 17, 2026

  • 4 min

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