The external validation of the asthma prediction tool in the French ELFE cohort

A survey on awareness of the disease and pulmonary rehabilitation in bronchial asthma patients in the United Arab Emirates

BACKGROUND

Asthma, a prevalent and severe chronic respiratory condition, can be significantly managed and controlled through informed awareness about the disease and pulmonary rehabilitation strategies, thereby enhancing patients' health-related quality of life.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the knowledge and awareness of Bronchial asthma and pulmonary rehabilitation among asthma-diagnosed patients in the United Arab Emirates.

METHODS

Utilizing a cross-sectional study design, 237 asthma patients, aged 18 and above, were recruited from the Royal NMC Hospital, Sharjah. A comprehensive questionnaire was administered, focusing on two critical domains: understanding of the disease and knowledge about pulmonary rehabilitation. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 26.

RESULTS

The majority of participants (31.6%) reported the onset of asthma before reaching two years of age. Bronchodilators emerged as the most used medication, utilized by 31.6% of the respondents. Weather conditions (34.6%) were identified as the most prevalent risk factor. Chi-square tests revealed no significant correlations between gender and knowledge about asthma (p = 0.278) or pulmonary rehabilitation awareness (p = 0.929). A negative correlation was found between age and knowledge about asthma (p<0.001), but not with pulmonary rehabilitation awareness (p = 0.731). Education demonstrated no significant association with either knowledge about asthma (p = 0.974) or awareness of pulmonary rehabilitation (p = 0.676).

CONCLUSION

The study implies that most people have a basic understanding of asthma. However, there are still significant gaps in their knowledge. For instance, many aren't sure how asthma is influenced by exercise or which parts of the body are affected. Also, understanding about therapies such as lung rehabilitation, and the contributions physical therapists can make in addressing lung problems, is only average. Interestingly, these knowledge gaps are not related to a person's age or their educational background.

Pediatric pulmonology 2022 year in review: Asthma

In 2022, new research studies influenced the field of pediatric asthma with improvements in diagnosis and evaluation; new treatment options including biologic therapies; changes in risk factors for asthma; and increased discussion about the impact of social determinants of health on asthma. Additionally, three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to see the impact of SARS-CoV-2 virus on pediatric asthma care. In this review article, we summarize the significant findings from publications in Pediatric Pulmonology and other relevant journals from the last year. We hope this review will provide new insight within the field of pediatric asthma, as well as guidance for implementation into clinical practice.

Early Prediction of Asthma

The clinical manifestations of asthma in children are highly variable, are associated with different molecular and cellular mechanisms, and are characterized by common symptoms that may diversify in frequency and intensity throughout life. It is a disease that generally begins in the first five years of life, and it is essential to promptly identify patients at high risk of developing asthma by using different prediction models. The aim of this review regarding the early prediction of asthma is to summarize predictive factors for the course of asthma, including lung function, allergic comorbidity, and relevant data from the patient's medical history, among other factors. This review also highlights the epigenetic factors that are involved, such as DNA methylation and asthma risk, microRNA expression, and histone modification. The different tools that have been developed in recent years for use in asthma prediction, including machine learning approaches, are presented and compared. In this review, emphasis is placed on molecular mechanisms and biomarkers that can be used as predictors of asthma in children.