
Researchers have developed a new asthma health care burden score that can better predict asthma severity and remission compared to current guidelines. This new approach, detailed in a study involving two major longitudinal asthma cohorts, was designed to address the limitations of existing asthma guidelines from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and American Thoracic Society (ATS).
The study, which was recently published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, analyzed data from the Severe Asthma Research Program III (SARP III) in the United States and the European Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes (U-BIOPRED) that is used across 11 European countries.
In the study, researchers calculated a composite score based on asthma exacerbations, health care utilization and the use of short-acting beta agonists (SABAs), which reflect asthma symptom burden.
Key findings from the study include:
- In SARP III, 528 adult participants were followed for an average of 4.4 years, with 59% classified as having severe asthma.
- In U-BIOPRED, 509 adult participants were followed for one year, with 83% classified as having severe asthma.
- In both cohorts, the burden score was found to negatively correlate with lung function, asthma control and quality of life.
- A burden score of 0.15 or lower predicted asthma remission with over 91% sensitivity and 99% specificity.
The study highlights significant discrepancies between the current definitions of asthma severity and the new burden score. Unlike the ERS-ATS and Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) definitions, which are based on prescribed medications, the new score incorporates patient-centered data that more accurately reflect disease severity and predicts remission.
The researchers suggest that, pending further validation, this burden score could optimize the management of high-risk asthma patients, potentially leading to better health outcomes.
The study was funded by several organizations, including the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi Genzyme/Regeneron, Teva Pharmaceuticals and the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking.