Treatable traits: a new paradigm for 21st century management of chronic airway diseases: Treatable Traits Down Under International Workshop report

Association of Lifestyle Behaviors with Quality of Life in Patients with COPD: A Cross-Sectional Study in Primary Care

Background/Objectives: The association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and their effect on quality of life among patients with COPD remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the lifestyle behaviors and their association with the disease-specific quality of life among a primary care population with COPD in Greece. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 236 participants aged 40 years and older from the COCARE COPD study. The healthy lifestyle index (HLI) was created based on smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI, physical activity, and sleep duration, with each factor categorized as either healthy (1) or unhealthy (0). The HLI ranged from 0 (least healthy) to 5 (healthiest). COPD-specific quality of life was assessed using the COPD assessment test (CAT), where higher scores indicate poorer health status. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between HLI and CAT scores, adjusting for confounders. Results: Half of the participants were non-smokers or former smokers, while 92% reported consuming low levels of alcohol (less than 14 units per week). Additionally, 56% had a BMI below 30, indicating they were not obese. Surprisingly, only 32% engaged in regular exercise, with at least 150 min per week, and only 25% reported getting adequate sleep, ranging from 7 to 9 h per night. Importantly, poorer health status was inversely associated with non/former smoking (OR: 0.543, 95% CI: 0.282-1.049), physical activity (OR: 0.238, 95% CI: 0.122-0.463), and adequate sleep (OR: 0.337, 95% CI: 0.160-0.710). Patients with higher HLI scores were less likely to have poor health status. Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings indicate that a significant proportion of patients with COPD failed to adhere to a minimum of three out of five healthy behaviors. Additionally, a higher number of healthy lifestyle factors defined by a high HLI score were independently associated with a better disease-specific quality of life. This is particularly important for COPD where quality of life is in the epicenter of management. Therefore, healthcare providers could significantly improve the management of COPD and patient outcomes by targeting and improving these lifestyle behaviors with targeted and holistic intervention strategies.

Association of Cough Severity with Asthma Control and Quality of Life in Patients with Severe Asthma

PURPOSE

Symptoms are important components in determining asthma control and in the adjustment of treatment levels. However, clinical relevance of cough in severe asthma is not well-understood. This study aimed to evaluate the severity and association of cough with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with severe asthma.

METHODS

This study analyzed cross-sectional data from the Korean Severe Asthma Registry. The severity of coughing and wheezing symptoms was assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 100 for each symptom. Additionally, PROs included the Asthma Control Test (ACT), the Severe Asthma Questionnaire (SAQ), and the EuroQoL 5-Dimension (EQ-5D) index. Multivariate linear regression analysis was employed to explore the relationship between cough severity and other PRO scores.

RESULTS

A total of 498 patients with severe asthma (age: 57.9 ± 13.1 years, females: 60.2%) were analyzed. The cough VAS score was higher than the wheeze score (median 30, [interquartile range 10-50] vs. 20 [0-50]; P < 0.001). Additionally, 22.5% of patients ranked in a higher tertile for cough severity compared to wheezing, while 18.5% ranked higher for wheezing severity than cough. Significant correlations were observed between cough and wheeze VAS scores (r = 0.61, P < 0.05) and between each symptom's VAS score and the SAQ (cough: r = -0.41, P < 0.001; wheeze: r = -0.52, P < 0.001), ACT scores (cough: r = -0.50, P < 0.001; wheeze: r = -0.63, P < 0.001) and EQ-5D index (cough: r = -0.40, P < 0.001; wheeze: r = -0.45, P < 0.001). In univariate regression analysis, the cough VAS score had weaker descriptive power (R2) values than the wheeze VAS score in relation to the PRO measures. Nevertheless, cough severity remained significantly associated with ACT, SAQ scores and EQ-5D index in multivariate analyses adjusted for wheeze severity and other confounders.

CONCLUSION

Cough frequently presents as a severe symptom in patients with severe asthma and could have distinct impact on asthma control and quality of life.

Treatable traits in pre-COPD: Time to extend the treatable traits paradigm beyond established disease

To date, the treatable traits (TTs) approach has been applied in the context of managing diagnosed diseases. TTs are clinical characteristics and risk factors that can be identified clinically and/or biologically, and that merit treatment if present. There has been an exponential increase in the uptake of this approach by both researchers and clinicians. Realizing the potential of the TTs approach to pre-clinical disease, this expert review proposes that it is timely to consider acting on TTs present before a clinical diagnosis is made, which might help to prevent development of the full disease. Such an approach is ideal for diseases where there is a long pre-clinical phase, such as in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The term 'pre-COPD' has been recently proposed to identify patients with respiratory symptoms and/or structural or functional abnormalities without airflow limitation. They may eventually develop airflow limitation with time but patients with pre-COPD are likely to have traits that are already treatable. This review first outlines the contribution of recently generated knowledge into lifetime lung function trajectories and the conceptual framework of 'GETomics' to the field of pre-COPD. GETomics is a dynamic and cumulative model of interactions between genes and the environment throughout the lifetime that integrates information from multi-omics to understand aetiology and mechanisms of diseases. This review then discusses the current evidence on potential TTs in pre-COPD patients and makes recommendations for practice and future research. At a broader level, this review proposes that introducing the TTs in pre-COPD may help reenergize the preventive approaches to health and diseases.

Obesity and Asthma: Implementing a Treatable Trait Care Model

Recognition of obesity as a treatable trait of asthma, impacting its development, clinical presentation and management, is gaining widespread acceptance. Obesity is a significant risk factor and disease modifier for asthma, complicating treatment. Epidemiological evidence highlights that obese asthma correlates with poorer disease control, increased severity and persistence, compromised lung function and reduced quality of life. Various mechanisms contribute to the physiological and clinical complexities observed in individuals with obesity and asthma. These encompass different immune responses, including Type IVb, where T helper 2 cells are pivotal and driven by cytokines like interleukins 4, 5, 9 and 13, and Type IVc, characterised by T helper 17 cells and Type 3 innate lymphoid cells producing interleukin 17, which recruits neutrophils. Additionally, Type V involves immune response dysregulation with significant activation of T helper 1, 2 and 17 responses. Finally, Type VI is recognised as metabolic-induced immune dysregulation associated with obesity. Body mass index (BMI) stands out as a biomarker of a treatable trait in asthma, readily identifiable and targetable, with significant implications for disease management. There exists a notable gap in treatment options for individuals with obese asthma, where asthma management guidelines lack specificity. For example, there is currently no evidence supporting the use of incretin mimetics to improve asthma outcomes in asthmatic individuals without Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this review, we advocate for integrating BMI into asthma care models by establishing clear target BMI goals, promoting sustainable weight loss via healthy dietary choices and physical activity and implementing regular reassessment and referral as necessary.

Asthma management with triple ICS/LABA/LAMA combination to reduce the risk of exacerbation: an umbrella review compliant with the PRIOR statement

INTRODUCTION

According to Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines, long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) should be considered as add-on therapy in patients with asthma that remains uncontrolled, despite treatment with medium-dose (MD) or high-dose (HD) inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)/long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) combinations. In patients ≥ 18 years, LAMA may be added in triple combination with an ICS and a LABA. To date, the precise efficacy of triple ICS/LABA/LAMA combination remains uncertain concerning the impact on exacerbation risk in patients with uncontrolled asthma. Therefore, an umbrella review was performed to systematically summarize available data on the effect of triple ICS/LABA/LAMA combination on the risk of asthma exacerbation.

METHODS

An umbrella review has been performed according to the PRIOR statement.

RESULTS

The overall results obtained from 5 systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that triple ICS/LABA/LAMA combination reduces the risk of asthma exacerbation. HD-ICS showed a greater effect particularly in reducing severe asthma exacerbation, especially in patients with evidence of type 2 inflammation biomarkers.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this umbrella review suggest an optimization of ICS dose in triple ICS/LABA/LAMA combination, based on the severity of exacerbation and type 2 biomarkers expression.

Proteomic Blood Profiles Obtained by Totally Blind Biological Clustering in Stable and Exacerbated COPD Patients

Although Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is highly prevalent, it is often underdiagnosed. One of the main characteristics of this heterogeneous disease is the presence of periods of acute clinical impairment (exacerbations). Obtaining blood biomarkers for either COPD as a chronic entity or its exacerbations (AECOPD) will be particularly useful for the clinical management of patients. However, most of the earlier studies have been characterized by potential biases derived from pre-existing hypotheses in one or more of their analysis steps: some studies have only targeted molecules already suggested by pre-existing knowledge, and others had initially carried out a blind search but later compared the detected biomarkers among well-predefined clinical groups. We hypothesized that a clinically blind cluster analysis on the results of a non-hypothesis-driven wide proteomic search would determine an unbiased grouping of patients, potentially reflecting their endotypes and/or clinical characteristics. To check this hypothesis, we included the plasma samples from 24 clinically stable COPD patients, 10 additional patients with AECOPD, and 10 healthy controls. The samples were analyzed through label-free liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Subsequently, the Scikit-learn machine learning module and K-means were used for clustering the individuals based solely on their proteomic profiles. The obtained clusters were confronted with clinical groups only at the end of the entire procedure. Although our clusters were unable to differentiate stable COPD patients from healthy individuals, they segregated those patients with AECOPD from the patients in stable conditions (sensitivity 80%, specificity 79%, and global accuracy, 79.4%). Moreover, the proteins involved in the blind grouping process to identify AECOPD were associated with five biological processes: inflammation, humoral immune response, blood coagulation, modulation of lipid metabolism, and complement system pathways. Even though the present results merit an external validation, our results suggest that the present blinded approach may be useful to segregate AECOPD from stability in both the clinical setting and trials, favoring more personalized medicine and clinical research.

Blood eosinophils levels in a Colombian cohort of biomass-and tobacco-related COPD patients

Introduction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of illness and death among adults. In 2019, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy incorporated blood eosinophils as a biomarker to identify patients at increased risk of exacerbations which, with the history of exacerbations during the previous year, allows identification of patients who would benefit from anti-inflammatory treatment to reduce the risk of future exacerbations. The aim of this study was to describe demographic and clinical characteristics, eosinophil counts, and exacerbations in a cohort of COPD patients stratified by clinical phenotypes (non-exacerbator, frequent exacerbator, asthma-COPD overlap) in a Colombian cohort at 2600 meters above sea level.

Methods

A descriptive analysis of a historical cohort of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of moderate to severe COPD (FEV1/FVC < 0.7 and at least one risk factor for COPD) from two specialized centers with comprehensive disease management programs was performed from January 2015 to March 2019. Data were extracted from medical records 1 year before and after the index date.

Results

200 patients were included (GOLD B: 156, GOLD E: 44; 2023 GOLD classification); mean age was 77.9 (SD 7.9) years; 48% were women, and 52% had biomass exposure as a COPD risk factor. The mean FEV1/FVC was 53.4% (SD 9.8), with an FEV1 of 52.7% (20.7). No differences were observed between clinical phenotypes in terms of airflow limitation. The geometric mean of absolute blood eosinophils was 197.58 (SD 2.09) cells/μL (range 0 to 3,020). Mean blood eosinophil count was higher in patients with smoking history and frequent exacerbators. At least one moderate and one severe exacerbation occurred in the previous year in 44 and 8% of patients, respectively; during the follow-up year 152 exacerbations were registered, 122 (80%) moderate and 30 (20%) severe. The highest rate of exacerbations in the follow-up year occurred in the subgroup of patients with the frequent exacerbator phenotype and eosinophils ≥300 cells/μL.

Discussion

In this cohort, the frequency of biomass exposure as a risk factor is considerable. High blood eosinophil count was related to smoking, and to the frequent exacerbator phenotype.

Unraveling the Complexity of Asthma: Insights from Omics Approaches

Asthma is a heterogeneous respiratory disease that represents a substantial social and economic burden [...].

First Report of the Prevalence at Baseline and after 1-Year Follow-Up of Treatable Traits in Interstitial Lung Diseases

Different factors, not limited to the lung, influence the progression of ILDs. A "treatable trait" strategy was recently proposed for ILD patients as a precision model of care to improve outcomes. However, no data have been published so far on the prevalence of TTs in ILD. A prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted within the ILD Program at the IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital (Milan, Italy) between November 2021 and November 2023. TTs were selected according to recent literature and assigned during multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) to one of the following categories: pulmonary, etiological, comorbidities, and lifestyle. Patients were further divided into four groups according to their post-MDD diagnosis: idiopathic ILD, sarcoidosis, connective tissue disease-ILD, and other ILD. The primary study outcome was the prevalence of each TT in the study population. A total of 116 patients with ILD [63.9% male; median (IQR) age: 69 (54-78) years] were included in the study. All the TTs identified in the literature were found in our cohort, except for intractable chronic cough. We also recognized differences in TTs across the ILD groups, with less TTs in patients with sarcoidosis. This analysis provides the first ancillary characterization of TTs in ILD patients in a real setting to date.

Highlights in the clinical nutrition literature: A critical appraisal of current research

Within the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), the Physician Engagement Committee (PEC) was created in 2017 by the ASPEN Board of Directors with the goal of growing the physician community both nationally and internationally. The PEC meets each month throughout the year to develop educational and research initiatives. In 2022, the PEC began an initiative to systematically review and evaluate practice-changing literature annually with the overall aim to highlight these studies at the annual ASPEN conferences and to critically discuss the potential clinical implications. The objective of the held meeting session was to present identified key papers in the fields of critical care medicine, gastroenterology and hepatology, and adult internal medicine that were published in 2022, which would complement the knowledge of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of nutrition topics as well as to identify areas of future research. Overall, several large-scale randomized controlled studies were identified in each of these sections, with practice-changing major results. This manuscript summarizes the information that was presented and the discussions that followed.

Living With Asthma and Vocal Cord Dysfunction/Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction: "I Just Can't Get Air In"

BACKGROUND

Asthma and vocal cord dysfunction (VCD), also known as inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO), may coexist, resulting in worse outcomes for patients. The experience of people with VCD/ILO and coexisting asthma is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine whether coexistent VCD/ILO and asthma have deleterious impacts on quality of life.

METHODS

We undertook a descriptive qualitative study using one-to-one semistructured interviews with 30 purposively recruited adult participants with a prior confirmed doctor asthma diagnosis and laryngoscopy-confirmed VCD/ILO. A thematic and content analysis was conducted to explore the data.

RESULTS

Participants were mostly female (63%), mean ± SD age 63 ± 12 years. Four themes were identified: trapped voice, altered life, knowledge about VCD/ILO, and looking for solutions. Participants reported their voice being trapped in their throat or the voice being suddenly cut off when talking or singing. Self-reported VCD/ILO symptoms including throat tightness and breathlessness were highlighted by participants. The second theme described how patients struggle to communicate or tended to shorten conversations. Insufficient knowledge and existing confusion regarding whether asthma was causing the breathlessness was described in the third theme. Looking for solutions depicted participants' diagnostic journey and how they sought an explanation for the symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

People with asthma and coexisting VCD/ILO experience a substantial burden affecting the quality of life. These data describe the impact on patients with coexisting conditions and should be used to increase clinician awareness of the experience of VCD/ILO from patients' perspectives to support a personalized approach to care.

Phenotype to Treatable Traits-Based Management in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a heterogeneous respiratory disease driven by various genetic and environmental factors, presents significant challenges in diagnosis and management. Traditional approaches focused on phenotypic classification, but recent paradigms emphasize identifying and addressing treatable traits to personalize treatment strategies. Treatable traits facilitate personalized interventions, optimizing symptom control, and reducing exacerbation risk. Dyspnea and exacerbations, recognized as key traits, guide treatment decisions and follow-up management. Various interventions, including bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and lifestyle modifications, target specific traits like airway inflammation, mucus overproduction, and emphysema. Strategies for assessing and addressing treatable traits during initial encounters and follow-up visits enhance disease monitoring and treatment efficacy. Comprehensive trait assessment demands resources and specialized monitoring, posing barriers to widespread implementation. The lack of standardized protocols and evolving evidence further complicates decision-making and clinical practice. Despite these challenges, the shift toward treatable traits-based management signifies a pivotal advancement in COPD care, emphasizing holistic approaches tailored to individual patient needs. Recognizing and addressing treatable traits offers personalized interventions, enhancing symptom control and disease management. Embracing treatable traits-based approaches holds promise for improving clinical outcomes and enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with COPD.

The treatable traits of asthma in pregnancy: a clinical audit

Rationale

Poor asthma control in pregnancy is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Treatable traits improve patient outcomes but the pattern and prevalence of treatable traits in pregnant women with asthma is unknown. Whether treatable traits in pregnant women with asthma can be identified via a virtual care consult is also unknown. The objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence of treatable traits in pregnant women with asthma using a virtual model of care.

Methods

Pregnant women with asthma (n=196) underwent an assessment by an asthma nurse educator and a respiratory physician via telehealth. In this clinical audit, 16 treatable traits were assessed including two traits in the pulmonary domain, five traits in the behavioural/risk factors domain and nine traits in the extrapulmonary domain.

Results

Pregnant women with asthma had a mean±sd of 7.5±2.0 treatable traits per person including 1.0±0.7 treatable traits per person in the pulmonary domain, 3.5±1.56 in the extrapulmonary domain and 2±0.9 in the risk factor/behavioural domain. Treatable traits in the behavioural/risk factor domain were most prevalent and these included limited asthma knowledge (96%), inadequate inhaler technique (84%) and no written asthma action plan (80%). On average 3.8±1.24 interventions per person were delivered for a mean±sd of 7.5±2.0 treatable traits per person.

Conclusion

Virtual antenatal asthma care is a feasible approach for assessing treatable traits in pregnant women with mild asthma. Pregnant women with asthma exhibit multiple management issues. Virtual models of care might increase asthma in pregnancy service uptake and acceptability.

Airway epithelium respiratory illnesses and allergy (AERIAL) birth cohort: study protocol

Introduction

Recurrent wheezing disorders including asthma are complex and heterogeneous diseases that affect up to 30% of all children, contributing to a major burden on children, their families, and global healthcare systems. It is now recognized that a dysfunctional airway epithelium plays a central role in the pathogenesis of recurrent wheeze, although the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. This prospective birth cohort aims to bridge this knowledge gap by investigating the influence of intrinsic epithelial dysfunction on the risk for developing respiratory disorders and the modulation of this risk by maternal morbidities, in utero exposures, and respiratory exposures in the first year of life.

Methods

The Airway Epithelium Respiratory Illnesses and Allergy (AERIAL) study is nested within the ORIGINS Project and will monitor 400 infants from birth to 5 years. The primary outcome of the AERIAL study will be the identification of epithelial endotypes and exposure variables that influence the development of recurrent wheezing, asthma, and allergic sensitisation. Nasal respiratory epithelium at birth to 6 weeks, 1, 3, and 5 years will be analysed by bulk RNA-seq and DNA methylation sequencing. Maternal morbidities and in utero exposures will be identified on maternal history and their effects measured through transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses of the amnion and newborn epithelium. Exposures within the first year of life will be identified based on infant medical history as well as on background and symptomatic nasal sampling for viral PCR and microbiome analysis. Daily temperatures and symptoms recorded in a study-specific Smartphone App will be used to identify symptomatic respiratory illnesses.

Discussion

The AERIAL study will provide a comprehensive longitudinal assessment of factors influencing the association between epithelial dysfunction and respiratory morbidity in early life, and hopefully identify novel targets for diagnosis and early intervention.

Treatable Traits in Asthma: The Importance of Extrapulmonary Traits-GERD, CRSwNP, Atopic Dermatitis, and Depression/Anxiety

Treatable traits is a personalized medicine approach to the management of airway disease. Assessing traits within the 3 domains of pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and behavioral/lifestyle/risk factor traits, and applying targeted treatments to effectively manage these traits, enables a holistic and personalized approach to care. Asthma is a heterogeneous and complex airway disease that is frequently complicated by several extrapulmonary traits that impact asthma outcomes and predict future outcomes. We propose that the identification of extrapulmonary and behavioral risk factor traits and the implementation of targeted therapy will lead to improved management of people with asthma. Furthermore, many extrapulmonary traits present as "connected comorbidities"; that is, they coexist with asthma, have an impact on asthma, and effective treatment improves both asthma and the comorbidity or the comorbidities may share a similar mechanism. In this review, we explore this concept and look at atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, gastroesophageal reflux disease, anxiety, and depression as treatable traits of asthma and how these can be managed using this approach.

Targeting Asthma Remission as the Next Therapeutic Step Toward Improving Disease Control

The long-term goal of asthma management is to achieve disease control, comprising the assessment of 2 main domains: (1) symptom control and (2) future risk of adverse outcomes. Decades of progress in asthma management have correlated with increasingly ambitious disease control targets. Moreover, the introduction of precision medicines, such as biologics, has further expanded the limits of what can be achieved in terms of disease control. It is now believed that clinical remission, a term rarely associated with asthma, may be an achievable treatment goal. An expert framework published in 2020 took the first step toward developing a commonly accepted definition of clinical remission in asthma. However, there remains a widespread discussion about the clinical parameters and thresholds that should be included in a standardized definition of clinical remission. This review aims to discuss on-treatment clinical remission as an aspirational outcome in asthma management, drawing on experiences from other chronic diseases where remission has long been a goal. We also highlight the integral role of shared decision-making between patients and health care professionals and the need for a common understanding of the individual patient journey to remission as foundational elements in reducing disease burden and improving outcomes for patients with asthma.

Predicting parameters of airway dynamics generated from inspiratory and expiratory plethysmographic airway loops, differentiating subtypes of chronic obstructive diseases

BACKGROUND

The plethysmographic shift volume-flow loop (sRaw-loop) measured during tidal breathing allows the determination of several lung function parameters such as the effective specific airway resistance (sReff), calculated from the ratio of the integral of the resistive aerodynamic specific work of breathing (sWOB) and the integral of the corresponding flow-volume loop. However, computing the inspiratory and expiratory areas of the sRaw-loop separately permits the determination of further parameters of airway dynamics. Therefore, we aimed to define the discriminating diagnostic power of the inspiratory and expiratory sWOB (sWOBin, sWOBex), as well as of the inspiratory and expiratory sReff (sReff IN and sReff EX), for discriminating different functional phenotypes of chronic obstructive lung diseases.

METHODS

Reference equations were obtained from measurement of different databases, incorporating 194 healthy subjects (35 children and 159 adults), and applied to a collective of 294 patients with chronic lung diseases (16 children with asthma, aged 6-16 years, and 278 adults, aged 17-92 years). For all measurements, the same type of plethysmograph was used (Jaeger Würzburg, Germany).

RESULTS

By multilinear modelling, reference equations of sWOBin, sWOBex, sReff IN and sReff EX were derived. Apart from anthropometric indices, additional parameters such as tidal volume (VT), the respiratory drive (P0.1), measured by means of a mouth occlusion pressure measurement 100 ms after inspiration and the mean inspiratory flow (VT/TI) were found to be informative. The statistical approach to define reference equations for parameters of airway dynamics reveals the interrelationship between covariants of the actual breathing pattern and the control of breathing.

CONCLUSIONS

We discovered that sWOBin, sWOBex, sReff IN and sReff EX are new discriminating target parameters, that differentiate much better between chronic obstructive diseases and their subtypes, especially between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO), thus strengthening the concept of precision medicine.

The pharmacological management of asthma in adults: 2023 update

INTRODUCTION

The pharmacotherapy of asthma is a dynamic process that changes as our knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology and treatment of this disease continues to evolve. This implies the need for continuous revision of the recommendations of asthma guidelines and strategies.

AREAS COVERED

This review summarizes the latest key practical information on the pharmacological management of asthma in adults. We provide the background to the 2023 update of the GINA strategy report, focusing on changes and discussing areas of uncertainty. We review current and emerging pharmacotherapy for uncontrolled asthma, including synthetic agents and new biologics, and provide expert perspectives and opinions on the treatment of uncontrolled asthma.

EXPERT OPINION

The current pharmacological treatment of asthma, based on a step-by-step, control-based approach, with ICSs, LABAs and LAMAs being the mainstay generally provides good symptom control. Biologic therapies are often effective in treating T2high severe asthma. However, there is still room for improvement, such as the discovery of new molecules that specifically target chronic inflammation and, most importantly, the ability to provide solutions to the various areas of uncertainty that still exist. Also finding solutions to improve the accessibility and affordability of rescue ICS in resource-constrained settings is critical.

Clinical Subtypes of Neutrophilic Asthma: A Cluster Analysis From Australasian Severe Asthma Network

BACKGROUND

Clinical heterogeneity may exist within asthma subtypes defined by inflammatory markers. However, the heterogeneity of neutrophilic asthma (NA) remains largely unexplored.

OBJECTIVE

To explore potential clusters and the stability of NA.

METHODS

Participants with NA from the Australasian Severe Asthma Network underwent a multidimensional assessment. They were then asked to participate in a 12-month longitudinal cohort study. We explored potential clusters using a hierarchical cluster analysis and validated the differential future risk of asthma exacerbations in the identified clusters. A decision tree analysis was developed to predict cluster assignments. Finally, the stability of prespecified clusters was examined within 1 month.

RESULTS

Three clusters were identified in 149 patients with NA. Cluster 1 (n = 99; 66.4%) was characterized by female-predominant nonsmokers with well-controlled NA, cluster 2 (n = 16; 10.7%) by individuals with comorbid anxiety/depressive symptoms with poorly controlled NA, and cluster 3 by older male smokers with late-onset NA. Cluster 2 had a greater proportion of participants with severe exacerbations (P = .005), hospitalization (P = .010), and unscheduled visits (P = .013) and a higher number of emergency room visits (P = .039) than that of the other two clusters. The decision tree assigned 92.6% of participants correctly. Most participants (87.5%; n = 7) in cluster 2 had a stable NA phenotype, whereas participants of clusters 1 and 3 had variable phenotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified three clinical clusters of NA, in which cluster 2 represents an uncontrolled and stable NA subtype with an elevated risk of exacerbations. These findings have clinical implications for the management of NA.

Development of a performance-based toolkit of the treatable traits of functioning in hospitalised patients with exacerbation of COPD: a survey-based study protocol

Background

The management of COPD has been based on the premise of identifying problems that guide personalised treatment based on a multidimensional assessment, known as treatable traits. Exacerbation of COPD (ECOPD) results in physical and functional impairments, limitation of daily activities and negative impact on patients' quality of life and prognosis. In this context, identifying treatable traits in patients with ECOPD is essential to properly guide individualised patient care. There is a need to develop a performance-based toolkit to identify the main treatable traits of functioning in hospitalised patients with ECOPD.

Methods and analysis

This is a study protocol of a survey method observational study to develop a performance-based toolkit. The study will include the following steps: 1) definition of treatable traits by both physiotherapists who provide or have provided care to hospitalised patients with ECOPD on a regular basis, and patients who have experienced at least one ECOPD which required hospitalisation; 2) selection of the most appropriate measures (markers) for each treatable trait based on established criteria and a previous systematic review; and 3) implementation of the toolkit in a pilot/feasibility study with hospitalised patients with ECOPD.

Conclusion

The development of a feasible performance-based toolkit with the best markers for each key treatable trait of functioning in hospitalised patients with ECOPD will make it possible to create individualised patient care for the specific demands of these patients.

Tiny Guides, Big Impact: Focus on the Opportunities and Challenges of miR-Based Treatments for ARDS

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by lung inflammation and increased membrane permeability, which represents the leading cause of mortality in ICUs. Mechanical ventilation strategies are at the forefront of supportive approaches for ARDS. Recently, an increasing understanding of RNA biology, function, and regulation, as well as the success of RNA vaccines, has spurred enthusiasm for the emergence of novel RNA-based therapeutics. The most common types of RNA seen in development are silencing (si)RNAs, antisense oligonucleotide therapy (ASO), and messenger (m)RNAs that collectively account for 80% of the RNA therapeutics pipeline. These three RNA platforms are the most mature, with approved products and demonstrated commercial success. Most recently, miRNAs have emerged as pivotal regulators of gene expression. Their dysregulation in various clinical conditions offers insights into ARDS pathogenesis and offers the innovative possibility of using microRNAs as targeted therapy. This review synthesizes the current state of the literature to contextualize the therapeutic potential of miRNA modulation. It considers the potential for miR-based therapeutics as a nuanced approach that incorporates the complexity of ARDS pathophysiology and the multifaceted nature of miRNA interactions.

Prevalence, Diagnostic Utility and Associated Characteristics of Bronchodilator Responsiveness

Rationale: The prevalence and diagnostic utility of bronchodilator responsiveness (BDR) in a real-life setting is unclear. Objective: To explore this uncertainty in patients aged ⩾12 years with physician-assigned diagnoses of asthma, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or COPD in NOVELTY, a prospective cohort study in primary and secondary care in 18 countries. Methods: The proportion of patients with a positive BDR test in each diagnostic category was calculated using 2005 (ΔFEV1 or ΔFVC ⩾12% and ⩾200 ml) and 2021 (ΔFEV1 or ΔFVC >10% predicted) European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society criteria. Measurements and Main Results: We studied 3,519 patients with a physician-assigned diagnosis of asthma, 833 with a diagnosis of asthma + COPD, and 2,436 with a diagnosis of COPD. The prevalence of BDR was 19.7% (asthma), 29.6% (asthma + COPD), and 24.7% (COPD) using 2005 criteria and 18.1%, 23.3%, and 18.0%, respectively, using 2021 criteria. Using 2021 criteria in patients diagnosed with asthma, BDR was associated with higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide; lower lung function; higher symptom burden; more frequent hospital admissions; and greater use of triple therapy, oral corticosteroids, or biologics. In patients diagnosed with COPD, BDR (2021) was associated with lower lung function and higher symptom burden. Conclusions: BDR prevalence in patients with chronic airway diseases receiving treatment ranges from 18% to 30%, being modestly lower with the 2021 than with the 2005 European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society criteria, and it is associated with lower lung function and greater symptom burden. These observations question the validity of BDR as a key diagnostic tool for asthma managed in clinical practice or as a standard inclusion criterion for clinical trials of asthma and instead suggest that BDR be considered a treatable trait for chronic airway disease.

Applying the treatable traits approach in bronchiectasis-A scoping review of traits, measurements and treatments implemented by allied health professionals and nurses

BACKGROUND

Using treatable traits as a management approach in bronchiectasis involves determining identifiable, clinically relevant, measurable and treatable problems to develop a management strategy in collaboration with the patient.

OBJECTIVE

To identify new treatable traits not previously reported in the literature and treatment strategies for new and existing traits that could be implemented in an outpatient clinic or community setting by an allied health professional or nurse in adults with bronchiectasis.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted with searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and PsycInfo. The search yielded 9963 articles with 255 articles proceeding to full text review and 114 articles included for data extraction.

RESULTS

Sixteen new traits were identified, including fatigue (number of studies with new trait (n) = 13), physical inactivity (n = 13), reduced peripheral muscle power and/or strength (n = 12), respiratory muscle weakness (n = 9) and sedentarism (n = 6). The main treatment strategies for new and existing traits were airway clearance therapy (number of citations (n) = 86), pulmonary rehabilitation (n = 58), inspiratory muscle training (n = 20) and nebulised saline (n = 12).

CONCLUSION

This review identifies several new traits in bronchiectasis and highlights the common treatments for new and existing traits that can be implemented in a treatable traits approach in an outpatient clinic or community setting by an allied health professional or nurse.

Unravelling the respiratory health path across the lifespan for survivors of preterm birth

Many survivors of preterm birth will have abnormal lung development, reduced peak lung function and, potentially, an increased rate of physiological lung function decline, each of which places them at increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across the lifespan. Current rates of preterm birth indicate that by the year 2040, around 50 years since the introduction of surfactant therapy, more than 700 million individuals will have been born prematurely-a number that will continue to increase by about 15 million annually. In this Personal View, we describe current understanding of the impact of preterm birth on lung function through the life course, with the aim of putting this emerging health crisis on the radar for the respiratory community. We detail the potential underlying mechanisms of prematurity-associated lung disease and review current approaches to prevention and management. Furthermore, we propose a novel way of considering lung disease after preterm birth, using a multidimensional model to determine individual phenotypes of lung disease-a first step towards optimising management approaches for prematurity-associated lung disease.

From treatable traits to GETomics in airway disease: moving towards clinical practice

The treatable traits approach represents a strategy for patient management. It is based on the identification of characteristics susceptible to treatments or predictive of treatment response in each individual patient. With the objective of accelerating progress in research and clinical practice relating to such a treatable traits approach, the Portraits event was convened in Barcelona, Spain, in November 2022. Here, while reporting the key concepts that emerged from the discussions during the meeting, we review the current state of the art related to treatable traits and chronic respiratory diseases management, and we describe the possible actions that clinicians can take in clinical practice to implement the treatable traits framework. Furthermore, we explore the new concept of GETomics and the new models of research in the field of COPD.

Asthma and obstructive sleep apnea: Unveiling correlations and treatable traits for comprehensive care

Asthma and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are common respiratory disorders. They share characteristics such as airway obstruction, poor sleep quality, and low quality of life. They are often present as comorbidities, along with obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and allergic rhinitis (AR), which impacts the disease's control. In recent years, there has been discussion about the association between these conditions and their pathophysiological and clinical consequences, resulting in worse health outcomes, increased healthcare resource consumption, prolonged hospital stays, and increased morbidity and mortality. Some studies demonstrate that treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can have a beneficial effect on both pathologies. This review summarizes the existing evidence of the association between asthma and OSA at their pathophysiological, epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic levels. It intends to raise awareness among healthcare professionals about these conditions and the need for further research.

Treatable traits models of care

Treatable traits is a personalized approach to the management of respiratory disease. The approach involves a multidimensional assessment to understand the traits present in individual patients. Traits are phenotypic and endotypic characteristics that can be identified, are clinically relevant and can be successfully treated by therapy to improve clinical outcomes. Identification of traits is followed by individualized and targeted treatment to those traits. First proposed for the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) the approach is recommended in many other areas of respiratory and now immunology medicine. Models of care for treatable traits have been proposed in different diseases and health care setting. In asthma and COPD traits are identified in three domains including pulmonary, extrapulmonary and behavioural/lifestyle/risk-factors. In bronchiectasis and interstitial lung disease, a fourth domain of aetiological traits has been proposed. As the core of treatable traits is personalized and individualized medicine; there are several key aspects to treatable traits models of care that should be considered in the delivery of care. These include person centredness, consideration of patients' values, needs and preferences, health literacy and engagement. We review the models of care that have been proposed and provide guidance on the engagement of patients in this approach to care.

Treatable traits in asthma during pregnancy: a call for a shift towards a precision-based management approach

Asthma is the most common chronic medical condition in pregnancy. Asthma exacerbations in pregnancy are unpredictable, and are associated with adverse maternal and fetal perinatal outcomes such as preterm birth and low birthweight. Goals of asthma management in pregnancy are to establish effective asthma control and prevent exacerbations. Optimising the management of asthma in pregnancy is an important goal of practice and future research.Treatable traits is a precision medicine paradigm proposed for the management of airways diseases, which holistically addresses the complexity and heterogeneity of airways disease. It is an individualised treatment approach that aims to improve outcomes. This makes treatable traits well suited for pregnant women with asthma, who have a high prevalence of obesity, mental health conditions, poor symptom perception and suboptimal asthma management skills including low treatment adherence. These traits are measurable and treatable. In this review, we explore current knowledge on the burden of asthma, maternal and perinatal consequences of asthma during pregnancy, the treatable traits paradigm, the prevalence of treatable traits in pregnant women with asthma, and consider how the treatable traits paradigm can be integrated into the management of asthma in pregnancy.

The treatable traits approach to adults with obstructive airways disease in primary and secondary care

The treatable traits approach is based on the recognition that the different clinical phenotypes of asthma and chronic obstructive airways disease (COPD) are a heterogeneous group of conditions with different underlying mechanisms and clinical manifestations, and that the identification and treatment of the specific clinical features or traits facilitates a personalised approach to management. Fundamentally, it recognises two important concepts. Firstly, that treatment for obstructive lung disease can achieve better outcomes if guided by specific clinical characteristics. Secondly, that in patients with a diagnosis of asthma, and/or COPD, poor respiratory health may also be due to numerous overlapping disorders that can present with symptoms that may be indistinguishable from asthma and/or COPD, comorbidities that might require treatment in their own right, and lifestyle or environmental factors that, if addressed, might lead to better control rather than simply increasing airways directed treatment. While these concepts are well accepted, how best to implement this personalised medicine approach in primary and secondary care within existing resource constraints remains uncertain. In this review, we consider the evidence base for this management approach and propose that the priority now is to assess different prototype templates for the identification and management of treatable traits in both asthma and COPD, in primary, secondary and tertiary care, to provide the evidence that will guide their use in clinical practice in different health care systems.

Treatable traits for long COVID

Long COVID, or post-acute COVID-19 sequelae, is experienced by an estimated one in eight adults following acute COVID-19. Long COVID is a new and complex chronic health condition that typically includes multiple symptoms that cross organ systems and fluctuate over time; a one-size-fits-all approach is, therefore, not likely to be appropriate nor relevant for long COVID treatment. 'Treatable Traits' is a personalized medicine approach, purpose-built to address the complexity and heterogeneity of complex chronic conditions. This comprehensive review aimed to understand how a treatable traits approach could be applied to long COVID, by first identifying the most prevalent long COVID treatable traits and then the available evidence for strategies to target these traits. An umbrella review of 22 systematic reviews identified 34 symptoms and complications common with long COVID, grouped into eight long COVID treatable trait clusters: neurological, chest, psychological, pain, fatigue, sleep impairment, functional impairment and other. A systematic review of randomized control trials identified 18 studies that explored different intervention approaches for long COVID prevention (k = 4) or management (k = 14). While a single study reported metformin as effective for long COVID prevention, the findings need to be replicated and consensus is required around how to define long COVID as a clinical trial endpoint. For long COVID management, current evidence supports exercise training or respiratory muscle training for long COVID treatable traits in the chest and functional limitation clusters. While there are studies exploring interventions targeting other long COVID treatable traits, further high-quality RCTs are needed, particularly targeting treatable traits in the clusters of fatigue, psychological, pain and sleep impairment.

Interaction effect of chronic cough and ageing on increased risk of exacerbation in patients with asthma: a prospective cohort study in a real-world setting

Background

Older adults with asthma have the greatest burden and worst outcomes, and there is increasing evidence that chronic cough (CC) is associated with asthma severity and poor prognosis. However, the clinical characteristics of older adult patients with both asthma and CC remain largely unknown.

Methods

Participants with stable asthma underwent two cough assessments within 3 months to define the presence of CC. Patients were divided into four groups based on CC and age (cut-off ≥60 years). Multidimensional assessment was performed at baseline, followed by a 12-month follow-up to investigate asthma exacerbations. Logistic regression models were used to explore the interaction effect of CC and age on asthma control and exacerbations.

Results

In total, 310 adult patients were prospectively recruited and divided into four groups: older CC group (n=46), older non-CC group (n=20), younger CC group (n=112) and younger non-CC group (n=132). Compared with the younger non-CC group, the older CC group had worse asthma control and quality of life and increased airflow obstruction. The older CC group showed an increase in moderate-to-severe exacerbations during the 12-month follow-up. There was a significant interaction effect of CC and ageing on the increased moderate-to-severe exacerbations (adjusted risk ratio 2.36, 95% CI 1.47-3.30).

Conclusion

Older asthma patients with CC have worse clinical outcomes, including worse asthma control and quality of life, increased airway obstruction and more frequent moderate-to-severe exacerbations, which can be partly explained by the interaction between CC and ageing.

Walking the path of treatable traits in interstitial lung diseases

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are complex and heterogeneous diseases. The use of traditional diagnostic classification in ILD can lead to suboptimal management, which is worsened by not considering the molecular pathways, biological complexity, and disease phenotypes. The identification of specific "treatable traits" in ILDs, which are clinically relevant and modifiable disease characteristics, may improve patient's outcomes. Treatable traits in ILDs may be classified into four different domains (pulmonary, aetiological, comorbidities, and lifestyle), which will facilitate identification of related assessment tools, treatment options, and expected benefits. A multidisciplinary care team model is a potential way to implement a "treatable traits" strategy into clinical practice with the aim of improving patients' outcomes. Multidisciplinary models of care, international registries, and the use of artificial intelligence may facilitate the implementation of the "treatable traits" approach into clinical practice. Prospective studies are needed to test potential therapies for a variety of treatable traits to further advance care of patients with ILD.

Treatable Traits in Systemic Sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic systemic disease within the spectrum of connective tissue diseases, specifically characterized by vascular abnormalities and inflammatory and fibrotic involvement of the skin and internal organs resulting in high morbidity and mortality. The clinical phenotype of SSc is heterogeneous, and serum autoantibodies together with the extent of skin involvement have a predictive value in the risk stratification. Current recommendations include an organ-based management according to the predominant involvement with only limited individual factors included in the treatment algorithm. Similar to what has been proposed for other chronic diseases, we hypothesize that a "treatable trait" approach based on relevant phenotypes and endotypes could address the unmet needs in SSc stratification and treatment to maximize the outcomes. We provide herein a comprehensive review and a critical discussion of the literature regarding potential treatable traits in SSc, focusing on established and candidate biomarkers, with the purpose of setting the bases for a precision medicine-based approach. The discussion, structured based on the organ involvement, allows to conjugate the pathogenetic mechanisms of tissue injury with the proposed predictors, particularly autoantibodies and other serum biomarkers. Ultimately, we are convinced that precision medicine is the ideal guide to manage a complex condition such as SSc for which available treatments are largely unsatisfactory.

Performance-based outcome measures to assess functionality in hospitalised patients with COPD exacerbations: a systematic review of the measurement properties

INTRODUCTION

Hospitalised patients with exacerbations of COPD (ECOPD) may have physical and functional impairments that impact morbidity and readmission. Therefore, it is crucial to properly identify reduced functionality in these patients to support a personalised rehabilitation. The objective of this study is to summarise and compare the measurement properties of functionality performance-based outcome measures for hospitalised patients with ECOPD.

METHODS

A systematic review based on the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) was performed. The PubMed, Embase, PEDro and Cochrane databases were searched using terms related to functionality, hospitalised patients with ECOPD and measurement properties. Studies were selected and extracted by two researchers. The COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist was applied to assess the methodological quality of the studies and measurement property results were compared with the criteria for good measurement properties. Quality of evidence was graded using a modified Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

RESULTS

13 studies were included with nine outcome measures, namely the 6-min pegboard ring test, the de Morton mobility index, the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT), the 6-min walk test (6MWT), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), the Berg balance scale, 4-m gait speed, handgrip strength and the 6-min stepper test. Construct validity was rated as sufficient, except for the ISWT. Responsiveness, assessed only for MIP, was considered insufficient and measurement errors for the ISWT and 6MWT were insufficient, with a very low quality of evidence for all measurement properties.

CONCLUSION

Measurement properties of performance-based outcome measures to assess functionality in patients hospitalised with ECOPD are still scarce, with very low evidence supporting validity and a lack of evidence of responsiveness and reliability. Further studies are needed to address this topic and guide assertive and personalised management.

Sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary fibrosis: joining the dots

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder of unknown aetiology. A minority of patients with sarcoidosis develop sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary fibrosis (SAPF), which may become progressive. Genetic profiles differ between patients with progressive and self-limiting disease. The mechanisms of fibrosis in SAPF are not fully understood, but SAPF is likely a distinct clinicopathological entity, rather than a continuum of acute inflammatory sarcoidosis. Risk factors for the development of SAPF have been identified; however, at present, it is not possible to make a robust prediction of risk for an individual patient. The bulk of fibrotic abnormalities in SAPF are located in the upper and middle zones of the lungs. A greater extent of SAPF on imaging is associated with a worse prognosis. Patients with SAPF are typically treated with corticosteroids, second-line agents such as methotrexate or azathioprine, or third-line agents such as tumour necrosis factor inhibitors. The antifibrotic drug nintedanib is an approved treatment for slowing the decline in lung function in patients with progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, but more evidence is needed to assess its efficacy in SAPF. The management of patients with SAPF should include the identification and treatment of complications such as bronchiectasis and pulmonary hypertension. Further research is needed into the mechanisms underlying SAPF and biomarkers that predict its clinical course.

Key Considerations When Addressing Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviour in People with Asthma

People with asthma tend to be less physically active and more sedentary than people without asthma. This narrative review aimed to present key considerations when addressing physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour in people with asthma by identifying barriers and facilitators, determinants and correlates, and intervention approaches. Using a search strategy, electronic databases were searched for relevant studies. Data extracted from studies were qualitatively synthesised. A total of 26 studies were included in the review. Six studies reported asthma symptoms as a barrier to physical activity, while four studies reported having a supportive network as a physical activity facilitator. Across studies, physical activity correlates/determinants were pulmonary function, exercise capacity, body mass index, dyspnoea, psychological health, and asthma control. Interventions that effectively improved physical activity in the short term were a step-based prescription programme, a weight loss programme incorporating aerobic and resistance training, and a weight loss lifestyle intervention, while a high-intensity interval training pulmonary rehabilitation program was effective in the long term. The collective findings suggest that a personalised physical activity programme incorporating different strategies is needed. There was minimal evidence to provide recommendations to optimise sedentary behaviour in asthma, and more research is needed on the topic.

Can Treatable Traits Be the Approach to Addressing the Complexity and Heterogeneity of COPD?

The complexity of COPD implies the need to identify groups of patients with similar clinical characteristics and prognosis or treatment requirements. This is why much attention has been paid to identifying the different clinical phenotypes by investigating the clinical expression of the disease, and endotypes by studying the biological networks that enable and limit reactions. However, this approach is complicated because one endotype gives rise to one or more clinical characteristics, and clinical phenotypes can be derived from several endotypes. To simplify the approach, a new taxonomic classification of COPD based on the different causes (or etiotypes) has been proposed, but these etiotypes have not yet been validated. A simpler method is the so-called tractable traits approach, which is free from any designation of the disorder to be treated and does not present the criticality of using etiotypes. A large randomised controlled trial on using the treatable traits approach in COPD is still lacking. Nevertheless, this approach is already applied by following the GOLD strategy. However, its application is complicated because several potentially treatable traits have been identified within the pulmonary domain, the extrapulmonary domain, and the behavioural/risk factor domain. In addition, the hierarchy of the dominant treatable traits has not yet been established, and they change over time both spontaneously and because of treatment. This means that the patients being treated according to the tractable traits approach must be constantly followed over time so that the therapy is focused on their temporal needs.

Treatable traits, combination inhaler therapy and the future of asthma management

The landscape of asthma has considerably changed in the last decade. Effective medications and inhaler devices have been developed and integrated into the asthma pharmacopoeia, but unfortunately, the proportion of uncontrolled patients remains unacceptably high. This is now recognized to be mainly due to the inappropriate use of medications or inhaler devices, heterogeneity of the disease or other factors contributing to the disease. Currently, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), with or without long-acting beta agonists (LABA), are the cornerstone of asthma management, and recently international guidelines recognized the importance of combination inhaler therapy (ICS/LABA) even in mild asthma. In future, ultra-long-acting personalized medications and smart inhalers will complement combination inhaler therapy in order to effectively addresses issues such as adherence, inhaler technique and polypharmacy (both of drugs and devices). Asthma is now acknowledged as a multifaceted cluster of disorders and the treatment model has evolved from one-size-fits-all to precision medicine approaches such as treatable traits (TTs, defined as measurable and treatable clinically important factors) which encourages the quality use of medications and identification and management of all underlying behavioural and biological treatable risk factors. TT requires research and validation in a clinical context and the implementation strategies and efficacy in various settings (primary/secondary/tertiary care, low-middle income countries) and populations (mild/moderate/severe asthma) are currently evolving. Combination inhaler therapy and the TTs approach are complementary treatment approaches. This review examines the current status of personalized medicine and combination inhaler therapy, and describes futuristic views for these two strategies.

Association between blood eosinophil count and small airway eosinophils in smokers with and without COPD

Introduction

Airway eosinophilic inflammation is a pathological feature in a subgroup of patients with COPD and in some smokers with a high COPD risk. Although blood eosinophil count is used to define eosinophilic COPD, the association between blood eosinophil count and airway eosinophilic inflammation remains controversial. This cross-sectional study tested this association in smokers with and without COPD while considering potential confounders, such as smoking status and comorbidities.

Methods

Lung specimens were obtained from smokers with and without COPD and non-COPD never-smokers undergoing lung lobectomy. Those with any asthma history were excluded. The infiltration of eosinophils into the small airway wall was quantified on histological sections stained with major basic protein (MBP).

Results

The number of airway MBP-positive cells was greater in smokers (n=60) than in never-smokers (n=14). Smokers with and without COPD (n=30 each) exhibited significant associations between blood eosinophil count and airway MBP-positive cells (ρ=0.45 and 0.71). When smokers were divided into the high and low airway MBP groups based on their median value, blood eosinophil count was higher in the high-MBP group, with no difference in age, smoking status, comorbidities, emphysema or coronary artery calcification on computed tomography, and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use. The association between greater blood eosinophil count and the high-MBP group was confirmed in multivariable models adjusted for smoking status, airflow limitation and ICS use.

Conclusion

The blood eosinophil count may reflect eosinophilic inflammation in the small airways in smokers with and without COPD.

An Update on Outcomes for COPD Pharmacological Trials: A COPD Investigators Report - Reassessment of the 2008 American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society Statement on Outcomes for COPD Pharmacological Trials

Background: In 2008, a dedicated American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society task force published a paper on the possible use and limitations of clinical outcomes and biomarkers to evaluate the impact of pharmacological therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Since then, our scientific understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has increased considerably; there has been a progressive shift from a one-size-fits-all diagnostic and therapeutic approach to a personalized approach; and many new treatments currently in development will require new endpoints to evaluate their efficacy adequately. Objectives: The emergence of several new relevant outcome measures motivated the authors to review advances in the field and highlight the need to update the content of the original report. Methods: The authors separately created search strategies for the literature, primarily based on their opinions and assessments supported by carefully chosen references. No centralized examination of the literature or uniform criteria for including or excluding evidence were used. Measurements and Main Results: Endpoints, outcomes, and biomarkers have been revisited. The limitations of some of those reported in the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society task force document have been highlighted. In addition, new tools that may be useful, especially in evaluating personalized therapy, have been described. Conclusions: Because the "label-free" treatable traits approach is becoming an important step toward precision medicine, future clinical trials should focus on highly prevalent treatable traits, and this will influence the choice of outcomes and markers to be considered. The use of the new tools, particularly combination endpoints, could help better identify the right patients to be treated with the new drugs.

Clinical Implications of Peak Inspiratory Flow in COPD: Post Hoc Analyses of the TRONARTO Study

Background

In patients with COPD, inhalation ability should be assessed when considering inhaler choice. To evaluate whether the soft mist inhaler (SMI) is suitable for COPD patients irrespective of inhalation ability, the TRONARTO study investigated the efficacy of dual long-acting bronchodilator therapy delivered via the Respimat® SMI on lung function in patients with COPD stratified by inhalation ability. Tiotropium/olodaterol delivered via the SMI was effective both in patients with peak inspiratory flow (PIF) <60 L/min and PIF ≥60 L/min, measured against medium-low resistance.

Methods

This congress compilation summarizes post hoc analyses from the TRONARTO study presented at the annual American Thoracic Society 2022 and European Respiratory Society 2022 meetings. These analyses evaluated PIF in over 200 patients, with PIF measurements taken daily at home for 4 weeks, and in the clinic at baseline, Weeks 2 and 4.

Results

Overall, 57.9% of patients had a PIF range (difference between lowest and highest PIF measurements) <20 L/min (12.4% of patients had PIF range <10 L/min). At-home PIF range decreased over the study period, suggesting that inhaler training/repeated PIF measurements may help to make patients' inspiratory effort more consistent. Some patient characteristics correlated with lower PIF (female gender, shorter stature, more severe disease, worse airflow obstruction) and lower PIF range (more severe disease). PIF measurements differed between medium-low and high-resistance settings, highlighting the importance of measuring PIF at the resistance of a patient's inhaler. PIF correlated poorly with spirometry measurements.

Conclusion

As indicated in COPD management guidelines, choice of inhaler is essential to optimize pharmacologic therapies for COPD. Poor inspiratory ability should be viewed as a treatable trait that can help to inform inhaler choice. Inhaler training and consideration of PIF (if patients use a dry powder inhaler) can reduce patient-to-inhaler mismatch, with potential consequences for health status and exacerbation risk.

Revisiting asthma pharmacotherapy: where do we stand and where do we want to go?

Several current guidelines/strategies outline a treatment approach to asthma, which primarily consider the goals of improving lung function and quality of life and reducing symptoms and exacerbations. They suggest a strategy of stepping up or down treatment, depending on the patient's overall current asthma symptom control and future risk of exacerbation. While this stepwise approach is undeniably practical for daily practice, it does not always address the underlying mechanisms of this heterogeneous disease. In the last decade, there have been attempts to improve the treatment of severe asthma, such as the addition of a long-acting antimuscarinic agent to the traditional inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist treatment and the introduction of therapies targeting key cytokines. However, despite such strategies several unmet needs in this population remain, motivating research to identify novel targets and develop improved therapeutic and/or preventative asthma treatments. Pending the availability of such therapies, it is essential to re-evaluate the current conventional "one-size-fits-all" approach to a more precise asthma management. Although challenging, identifying "treatable traits" that contribute to respiratory symptoms in individual patients with asthma may allow a more pragmatic approach to establish more personalised therapeutic goals.

Longitudinal Asthma Phenotypes from Childhood to Middle-Age: A Population-based Cohort Study

Rationale: Asthma is a heterogeneous condition, and longitudinal phenotyping may provide new insights into the origins and outcomes of the disease. Objectives: We aimed to characterize the longitudinal phenotypes of asthma between the first and sixth decades of life in a population-based cohort study. Methods: Respiratory questionnaires were collected at seven time points in the TAHS (Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study) when participants were aged 7, 13, 18, 32, 43, 50, and 53 years. Current-asthma and ever-asthma status was determined at each time point, and group-based trajectory modeling was used to characterize distinct longitudinal phenotypes. Linear and logistic regression models were fitted to investigate associations of the longitudinal phenotypes with childhood factors and adult outcomes. Measurements and Main Results: Of 8,583 original participants, 1,506 had reported ever asthma. Five longitudinal asthma phenotypes were identified: early-onset adolescent-remitting (40%), early-onset adult-remitting (11%), early-onset persistent (9%), late-onset remitting (13%), and late-onset persistent (27%). All phenotypes were associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at age 53 years, except for late-onset remitting asthma (odds ratios: early-onset adolescent-remitting, 2.00 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-3.56]; early-onset adult-remitting, 3.61 [95% CI, 1.30-10.02]; early-onset persistent, 8.73 [95% CI, 4.10-18.55]; and late-onset persistent, 6.69 [95% CI, 3.81-11.73]). Late-onset persistent asthma was associated with the greatest comorbidity at age 53 years, with increased risk of mental health disorders and cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions: Five longitudinal asthma phenotypes were identified between the first and sixth decades of life, including two novel remitting phenotypes. We found differential effects of these phenotypes on risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and nonrespiratory comorbidities in middle age.

Cough and cough hypersensitivity as treatable traits of asthma

Cough is a common and troublesome symptom in people with asthma and is often associated with poorer asthma control and exacerbations. Apart from asthma, other causes or comorbidities might underlie cough in asthma, such as rhinosinusitis and bronchiectasis. Eosinophilic inflammation and bronchoconstriction can lead to an acute episode of cough or worsen chronic cough. Cough hypersensitivity with laryngeal paraesthesia, allotussia, and hypertussia might underlie the cough of asthma through augmented sensory nerve excitability of upper-airway vagal sensory nerves. Cough associated with bronchoconstriction and type 2 inflammation should respond to inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β-adrenoceptor agonist therapy. For cough hypersensitivity in adults, speech and language therapy and neuromodulators (eg, gabapentin) could be considered. In children, there is no consistent association of asthma with cough sensitivity or between cough and asthma severity. Further research is needed to realise the potential of cough as a measure of asthma control, to understand the mechanisms of cough in asthma, and to develop safe, effective treatments and a precision-medicine approach to the management of cough in asthma in children and adults.

Efficacy of interventions to alter measures of fat-free mass in people with COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Low fat-free mass (FFM) is linked to poor health outcomes in COPD, including impaired exercise tolerance and premature death. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of interventions for increasing FFM in COPD.

Methods

Searches of electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus) and trial registers (ClinicalTrials.gov) were undertaken from inception to August 2022 for randomised studies of interventions assessing measures of FFM in COPD. The primary outcome was change in FFM (including derivatives). Secondary outcomes were adverse events, compliance and attrition.

Results

99 studies (n=5138 people with COPD) of 11 intervention components, used alone or in combination, were included. Exercise training increased mid-thigh cross-sectional area (k=3, standardised mean difference (SMD) 1.04, 95% CI 0.02-2.06; p=0.04), but not FFM (k=4, SMD 0.03, 95% CI -0.18-0.24; p=0.75). Nutritional supplementation significantly increased FFM index (k=11, SMD 0.31, 95% CI 0.13-0.50; p<0.001), but not FFM (k=19, SMD 0.16, 95% CI -0.06-0.39; p=0.16). Combined exercise training and nutritional supplementation increased measures related to FFM in 67% of studies. Anabolic steroids increased FFM (k=4, SMD 0.98, 95% CI 0.24-1.72; p=0.009). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation increased measures related to FFM in 50% of studies. No interventions were more at risk of serious adverse events, low compliance or attrition.

Discussion

Exercise training and nutritional supplementation were not effective in isolation to increase FFM, but were for localised muscle and index measures, respectively. Combined, exercise and nutritional supplementation shows promise as a strategy to increase FFM in COPD. Anabolic steroids are efficacious for increasing FFM in COPD.