A new study warns that most people with severe asthma also suffer from other health conditions that often go unnoticed, including osteoporosis, eczema, and chronic sinusitis. As many as 10 per cent of asthma patients develop severe symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness, which remain poorly controlled even with anti-inflammatory drugs like corticosteroids.
Understanding Patterns in Difficult-to-Treat Asthma
According to the study published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe by clinicians from the European Respiratory Society Clinical Research Collaboration, a deeper understanding of patterns in difficult-to-treat asthma could be key to unlocking more effective treatments for the most affected patients. One crucial pattern is identifying long-term health conditions that frequently co-occur with severe asthma.
The clinicians analysed data from 2,700 patients across 11 European countries and discovered that nearly all suffered from at least one other major health issue, with most having three or more. They identified three distinct symptom profiles that consistently appeared across patient groups.
Key Findings: Comorbidities and Steroid Effects
A large number of severe asthma patients reported high rates of osteoporosis combined with weight gain caused by steroid treatments. Many also experienced eczema alongside hay fever (rhinitis), as well as chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps—growths in the respiratory channel.
“The patterns we found were linked to how well asthma was controlled, how often attacks happened and the treatments needed,” said Ramesh Kurukulaaratchy, professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Southampton, who was involved in the study. “Better understanding these patterns will help us look beyond asthma alone and improve the care for people living with severe asthma.”
Implications for Personalised Care
The findings could lead to more effective personalised asthma care, the clinicians said. They noted that obesity merits particular attention, as it appeared linked to steroid-induced weight gain. Since several of the severe co-occurring conditions were steroid-related, the doctors argued for a need to eradicate oral steroid dependency in severe asthma management.
