Study	Reason for exclusion
Adinoff 1998	Intervention‐ no short acting beta2‐agonist group
Akpinarli 1999	Intervention‐ no short acting beta2‐agonist group
Arvidsson1989	Intervention‐ dose of long acting beta2‐agonist varied during study
Aziz 1999	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Aziz 1998	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Aziz I Tan 1998	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Baki 1998	Intervention‐ no short acting beta2‐agonist group
Becker Simons 1993	Abstract only‐ no further publication or details on request
Becker 1989	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Bhagat 1995	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Bishop 1994	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Blake 1999	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Booth Bish 1996	Intervention‐ no short acting beta2‐agonist group
Booth 1993	Intervention‐ no short acting beta2‐agonist group
Boulet Cartier 1998	Intervention‐ no short acting beta2‐agonist group
Boulet Turcot 1997	Intervention‐ no short acting beta2‐agonist group
Bowers 1997	Not RCT, Review of 8 previously published studies
Boyd 1995	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Brambilla 1994	Intervention‐ oral SR short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist
Busse 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Campbell 2000	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Carlsen 1995	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Charpin 1992	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Chervinsky 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Cheung 1992	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Clark 1993	Not RCT, Case reports
Clauzel 1998	Not RCT, intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Cockcroft 1997	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Dahl 1991	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Derom 1992	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Di‐Lorenzo 1995	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Droszcz 1999	Not RCT, intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Faurschou 1991	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Faurschou 1992	Abstract only‐ no publication details available
Faurschou Dahl 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Fitzpatrick 1990	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Fuglsang 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Gardiner 1994	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Giannini 1995	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Giannini Bacci 1999	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Gong 1996	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Gotz 1995	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Green 1992	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Greening 1994	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Grove 1995	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Grove Lipworth 1996	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Hacki 1993	Not RCT, intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Hyland 1994	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Jartti 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Jones 1994	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Juniper 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Kalra 1996	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Kavuru 2000	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Kemp Cook 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Kemp 1993	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Kemp DeGraff 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Kemp Dockhorn 1994	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Kesten 1992	Not RCT, intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Kia 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Kraft 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Langley 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Langton 1995	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Li Ward 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Li 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Lipworth Aziz 2000	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Lipworth Demps 2000	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Lipworth Aziz 1999	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Lockey 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Lotvall 1992	Not RCT, intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Mahajan 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Malo 1992	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Malozowski 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Mann 1996	Not RCT, cohort study
Martin 1999	Intervention‐ oral SR short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
McIvor 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Meijer 1995	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Midgren 1992	Intervention‐ dose of long acting beta2‐agonist varied during study
Molimard 2001	Intervention‐ no regular short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group, not DB
Nathan 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Nelson 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Nelson 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Newnham 1993	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Newnham 1994	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Newnham 1995	Intervention‐ dose of long acting beta2‐agonist varied during study
Nichol 1990	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Nielsen 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Nix 1990	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Norhaya 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Nowak 1992	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Palmer 1992	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Pauwels 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Pearlman 1996	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Pearlman 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Pederson 1993	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Quebe‐Fehling 1996	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Rabe 1993	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Ramage 1994	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Ramage Lipworth 1994	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Ramsdale 1991	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Ringbaek 1996	Intervention‐ oral SR short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Roberts 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Roberts 1992	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Rosenthal 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Rosenthal 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Russell 1995	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Schaaning 1996	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Schreurs 1996	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Self 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Shapiro 2000	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Shepherd 1991	Not RCT‐ letter
Sichletidis 1993	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Siergiejko 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Simons 1992	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Simons 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Simons 2 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Simons Gerst 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Smyth 1993	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Starke 1996	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Sussman 1995	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Tan 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Tattersfield 2001	Intervention‐ dose varied of short‐acting and long‐acting beta(2)‐agonist
Tattersfield 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Taylor 1992	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Totterman 1998	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Turner 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Twentyman 1990	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Ullman 1988	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Ullman 1990	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Van der Molen 1996	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Van der Molen 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Verberne 1991	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Verberne 1996	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Verberne 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Verberne 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Verberne 2000	Not RCT , review
Verini 1998	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Viskum 1990	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Von Berg 1996	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Von Berg 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Wallaert 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Wallin 1999	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Wallin 1990	Intervention‐ dose of long acting beta2‐agonist varied during study
Walters 1992	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Weinstein 1997	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Weinstein 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Wilding 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Wolfe 2000	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Wong 1997	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks
Woolcock 1996	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Wronska 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Yates 1995	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Yates 1997	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Zarkovic 1998	Intervention‐ no short‐acting beta(2)‐agonist group
Zellweger 1994	Intervention‐ treatment period less than 2 weeks