People with asthma can manage the condition just as well by inhaling a lower dose steroid puffer, a study has found.

A study by the Hunter Medical Research Institute has found that a person with asthma can do just as well on a lower dose of inhaled corticosteroids as the so-called start high, step down approach.

The research by Professor Peter Gibson and Heather Powell found there was no clinical benefit in starting adults with asthma at high steroid doses compared to moderate doses.

Prof Gibson said the study was significant for people with asthma who are concerned about taking excessive doses of inhaled steroids.

“The good news for people with asthma is the study shows that only low to moderate doses of medicine are needed for optimal management of asthma,” he said.

The study, published in Thorax Journal, concluded that starting with a moderate dose was equivalent to starting with a high dose and stepping down.

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The small non-significant benefits of starting with a high dose were not of sufficient clinical benefit to warrant its use.

Initial moderate doses appeared to be more effective than an initial low dose, the report said.

Australian guidelines, which recommend starting with high doses of puffers, are being reviewed.

Overseas guidelines in countries such as New Zealand and Britain recommend starting on a low to moderate dose.