For lowering complications leading to hospitalization and even death, on Thursday the Food and Drug Administration called for applying new limits on powerful and long-lasting bronchial drugs being used to treat asthma by millions of Americans.

Physicians were told not to prescribe medicines that have long-acting beta agonists called LABAs and also inhaled corticosteroids.

The FDA said that patients should stick to products containing only the corticosteroids whenever needed.

Patients who can not handle asthma symptoms by any other way should use LABAs but only for a short time. The drug should however be kept away from children.

LABA-only products Serevent and Foradil, along with Advair and Symbicort, which contain both LABAs and inhaled corticosteroids, are the affected drugs by FDA.

For educating patients and doctors about risks associated with LABA manufacturers will be required to include new warnings on the drugs' labels.