A medical study released online on Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that certain individuals afflicted with asthma will not be capable of responding to inhaled steroids which are used for long-term asthma control.

The findings were introduced at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam.

The research revealed that "asthma patients who inherited two copies of a particular gene variation were not inclined to respond to steroid inhalers compared to those who posses two copies of the more popular variety of the DNA."

A report from Reuters mentioned that the discovery shows the way to "more personalized treatments from asthma which is an inflammatory ailment affecting more than 20 million Americans and approximately 300 million people globally."

Inhaled steroids help diminish enlargement of the ventilation passage.

"This research is a way of elucidating on the hereditary basis for the observation that a number of people do not react perfectly to ordinary asthma treatment or medication," explained Dr. Susan Shurin of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

"This vital study demonstrates the essence of personalized treatment for people bothered by this disease," she added.

Researchers assessed carefully genetic information from more than 1,000 individuals enrolled in clinical trials appraising various types of remedies for asthma.

The study has led researchers closer to being able to ascertain which of the patients are prone to responding to treatment from inhaled steroids.

Millions of people resort to inhaled corticosteroids because of better asthma control, fewer symptoms and flare-ups as well as reduced needs for hospitalization.

Dosages of inhaled steroids vary.

However, parents are concerned about giving their kid steroids since this kind is not the same as anabolic steroids used in building muscles.

The researchers utilized a family-based model in which they reviewed the genetic framework of children with asthma and their parents to identify genes that might play a role in response to inhaled steroids.