Berend 2001.

Methods	Setting: multicentre study Australia, hospital outpatient clinics Design: parallel group Length of intervention period: 6 months Randomisation: yes, method not stated Allocation concealment: unclear Masking: open, non‐blinded Excluded: not stated Withdrawals: not stated Baseline characteristics: comparable Jadad score: 1
Participants	133 adults: 64M 69F Age range: 20 to 78 years Inclusion criteria: Adults requiring BDP or BUD > 1750 mcg/d for asthma control One or more of following: 190ml or greater FEV1 reversibility after inhaled beta2 agonist Asthma symptoms on 2 or more days/week for 2 weeks in last month Night‐time symptoms 2 or more nights/week Diurnal PEFR variability 15% or greater Exclusion criteria: Regular oral steroid therapy Significant co‐existent disease
Interventions	FP: half usual maintenance dose (mcg/d) via MDI + spacer BDP or BUD: usual maintenance dose via MDI+ spacer or Turbuhaler DPI
Outcomes	FEV1 FVC Morning PEFR Clinic PEFR HRQOL: Change in Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire domain scores compared to baseline HRQOL: Change in Short‐form 36 questionnaire domain scores compared to baseline Morning plasma cortisol Urine cortisol:creatinine ratio (1 hour post waking sample) Asthma exacerbations Local oral side‐effects Extent and ease of skin bruising Biochemical markers of bone turnover
Notes	Study in abstract form until 2001, full published version available for 2004 update.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Adequate sequence generation?	Unclear risk	Described as randomised; other information not available
Allocation concealment?	Unclear risk	Information not available
Blinding? All outcomes	High risk	Open label