Asthma

Researchers have projected that the economic burden of uncontrolled asthma in the USA will be in excess of US$ 900 billion over the next 20 years.

Researchers have found that physicians often underestimate the level of asthma control in patients.

Approximately one third of patients with severe asthma in Japan have severe eosinophilic asthma, show findings from a cohort analysis.

Small airways dysfunction occurs across all degrees of asthma severity but has the highest prevalence among individuals with the most severe disease, suggest baseline findings from the ATLANTIS study.

Among patients with asthma, those with chronic cough have worse respiratory symptoms and lung function, and higher levels of some inflammatory markers, than those without, study findings indicate.

MET and MMP10 gene expression are likely to play important roles in the cellular inflammation and airway remodeling associated with submucosal eosinophilia in patients with asthma, researchers report.

Findings from a large US study suggest that early treatment with antibiotics is not associated with improved outcomes among patients hospitalised for asthma exacerbation and treated with systemic corticosteroids.

Patients with asthma who are treated with the once-daily inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta agonist regimen fluticasone furoate/vilanterol have better treatment adherence than those taking the twice-daily budesonide/formoterol combination, researchers report.

Only a third of patients with asthma will experience an exacerbation, show 7 years of observation in more than 50,000 adults with the condition.

A genome-wide association study has identified novel genetic variants associated with the risk of developing moderate-to-severe asthma, a substantial proportion of which are also associated with mild asthma susceptibility.

Researchers have highlighted the need for blood eosinophils to be repeatedly measured in patients with severe asthma when designating treatment having found that levels vary in individuals over time.

Findings from the TROPOS trial indicate that treatment with the interleukin-13-targeted monoclonal antibody tralokinumab does not decrease corticosteroid use among patients with severe uncontrolled asthma.

The anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody mepolizumab has durable safety and efficacy profiles over an average 3.5 years of follow-up in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma, indicate findings from the COLUMBA open-label extension study.

Results of a real-world study suggest that changing from a dry powder inhaler to a pressurized metered-dose inhaler is not associated with compromised treatment outcomes among patients with asthma.

Systemic corticosteroid treatment reduces blood eosinophil counts and low levels are maintained for weeks after treatment is discontinued, show real-world data.

A single blood eosinophil count could predict persistent eosinophilia in patients with adult-onset asthma, study findings show.

Researchers estimate that 2% of patients with adult-onset eosinophilic asthma could benefit from treatment involving antibodies against the interleukin-5 pathway.

Researchers estimate that 2% of patients with adult-onset eosinophilic asthma could benefit from treatment involving antibodies against the interleukin-5 pathway.

Researchers have developed a measure for predicting future asthma risk based on patient characteristics and current level of asthma control.

Research findings can reassure patients with mild asthma that the long-term prognosis is good, with only a tenth of patients transitioning to more severe disease over 10 years.