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Halpin DM, Dickens AP, Skinner D, Murray R, Singh M, Hickman K, Carter V, Couper A, Evans A, Pullen R, Menon S, Morris T, Muellerova H, Bafadhel M, Chalmers J, Devereux G, Gibson M, Hurst JR, Jones R, Kostikas K, Quint J, Singh D, van Melle M, Wilkinson T, Price D. Identification of key opportunities for optimising the management of high-risk COPD patients in the UK using the CONQUEST quality standards: an observational longitudinal study. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2023; 29:100619. [PMID: 37131493 PMCID: PMC10149261 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Background This study compared management of high-risk COPD patients in the UK to national and international management recommendations and quality standards, including the COllaboratioN on QUality improvement initiative for achieving Excellence in STandards of COPD care (CONQUEST). The primary comparison was in 2019, but trends from 2000 to 2019 were also examined. Methods Patients identified in the Optimum Patient Care Research Database were categorised as newly diagnosed (≤12 months after diagnosis), already diagnosed, and potential COPD (smokers having exacerbation-like events). High-risk patients had a history of ≥2 moderate or ≥1 severe exacerbations in the previous 12 months. Findings For diagnosed patients, the median time between diagnosis and first meeting the high-risk criteria was 617 days (Q1-Q3: 3246). The use of spirometry for diagnosis increased dramatically after 2004 before plateauing and falling in recent years. In 2019, 41% (95% CI 39-44%; n = 550/1343) of newly diagnosed patients had no record of spirometry in the previous year, and 45% (95% CI 43-48%; n = 352/783) had no record of a COPD medication review within 6 months of treatment initiation or change. In 2019, 39% (n = 6893/17,858) of already diagnosed patients had no consideration of exacerbation rates, 46% (95% CI 45-47%; n = 4942/10,725) were not offered or referred for pulmonary rehabilitation, and 41% (95% CI 40-42%; n = 3026/7361) had not had a COPD review within 6 weeks of respiratory hospitalization. Interpretation Opportunities for early diagnosis of COPD patients at high risk of exacerbations are being missed. Newly and already diagnosed patients at high-risk are not being assessed or treated promptly. There is substantial scope to improve the assessment and treatment optimisation of these patients. Funding This study is conducted by the Observational & Pragmatic Research International Ltd and was co-funded by Optimum Patient Care and AstraZeneca. No funding was received by the Observational & Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd (OPRI) for its contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M.G. Halpin
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | | | | | | | - Mukesh Singh
- General Practice, Horse Fair Practice Group, Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK
- Keele University Medical School, Keele, UK
- Staffordshire Integrated Care System, UK
| | - Katherine Hickman
- National Asthma and COPD Audit Programme, Care Quality Improvement Department (CQID), RCP, London, UK
- Low Moor Medical Practice, Bradford, UK
- Leeds and Bradford Clinical Commissioning Groups, UK
| | | | - Amy Couper
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | | | - Rachel Pullen
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Shruti Menon
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, AstraZeneca, London, UK
| | - Tamsin Morris
- Medical and Scientific Affairs, AstraZeneca, London, UK
| | | | - Mona Bafadhel
- School of Immunology & Microbial Science, King's College, London, UK
| | - James Chalmers
- Scottish Centre for Respiratory Research, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK
| | | | - Martin Gibson
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust & Chief Executive Officer of NorthWest EHealth, UK
| | - John R. Hurst
- UCL Respiratory, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Jennifer Quint
- Respiratory Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, National Heart & Lung Institute, London, UK
| | - Dave Singh
- Division of Infection, Immunity & Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Marije van Melle
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
- Connecting Medical Dots BV, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- ORTEC, Zoetermeer, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Wilkinson
- University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton, UK
| | - David Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
- Optimum Patient Care, UK
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- Corresponding author. Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.
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Horne EMF, McLean S, Alsallakh MA, Davies GA, Price DB, Sheikh A, Tsanas A. Defining clinical subtypes of adult asthma using electronic health records: Analysis of a large UK primary care database with external validation. Int J Med Inform 2023; 170:104942. [PMID: 36529028 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Asthma is one of the commonest chronic conditions in the world. Subtypes of asthma have been defined, typically from clinical datasets on small, well-characterised subpopulations of asthma patients. We sought to define asthma subtypes from large longitudinal primary care electronic health records (EHRs) using cluster analysis. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, we extracted asthma subpopulations from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database (OPCRD) to robustly train and test algorithms, and externally validated findings in the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank. In both databases, we identified adults with an asthma diagnosis code recorded in the three years prior to an index date. Train and test datasets were selected from OPCRD using an index date of Jan 1, 2016. Two internal validation datasets were selected from OPCRD using index dates of Jan 1, 2017 and 2018. Three external validation datasets were selected from SAIL using index dates of Jan 1, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Each dataset comprised 50,000 randomly selected non-overlapping patients. Subtypes were defined by applying multiple correspondence analysis and k-means cluster analysis to the train dataset, and were validated in the internal and external validation datasets. RESULTS We defined six asthma subtypes with clear clinical interpretability: low inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use and low healthcare utilisation (30% of patients); low-to-medium ICS use (36%); low-to-medium ICS use and comorbidities (12%); varied ICS use and comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (4%); high (10%) and very high ICS use (7%). The subtypes were replicated with high accuracy in internal (91-92%) and external (84-86%) datasets. CONCLUSION Asthma subtypes derived and validated in large independent EHR databases were primarily defined by level of ICS use, level of healthcare use, and presence of comorbidities. This has important clinical implications towards defining asthma subtypes, facilitating patient stratification, and developing more personalised monitoring and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsie M F Horne
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Edinburgh, UK; Usher Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Susannah McLean
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Edinburgh, UK; Usher Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mohammad A Alsallakh
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Edinburgh, UK; Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK; Health Data Research UK, Swansea and Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gwyneth A Davies
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Edinburgh, UK; Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
| | - David B Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI), Singapore; Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Aziz Sheikh
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Edinburgh, UK; Usher Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Athanasios Tsanas
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Edinburgh, UK; Usher Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Lynam A, Curtis C, Stanley B, Heatley H, Worthington C, Roberts EJ, Price C, Carter V, Dennis J, McGovern A, Price D. Data-Resource Profile: United Kingdom Optimum Patient Care Research Database. Pragmat Obs Res 2023; 14:39-49. [PMID: 37138785 PMCID: PMC10150735 DOI: 10.2147/por.s395632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Electronic medical records (EMRs) maintained in primary care in the UK and collected and stored in EMR databases offer a world-leading resource for observational clinical research. We aimed to profile one such database: the Optimum Patient Care Research Database (OPCRD). Methods and Participants The OPCRD, incepted in 2010, is a growing primary care EMR database collecting data from 992 general practices within the UK. It covers over 16.6 million patients across all four countries within the UK, and is broadly representative of the UK population in terms of age, sex, ethnicity and socio-economic status. Patients have a mean duration of 11.7 years' follow-up (SD 17.50), with a majority having key summary data from birth to last data entry. Data for the OPCRD are collected incrementally monthly and extracted from all of the major clinical software systems used within the UK and across all four coding systems (Read version 2, Read CTV3, SNOMED DM+D and SNOMED CT codes). Via quality-improvement programmes provided to GP surgeries, the OPCRD also includes patient-reported outcomes from a range of disease-specific validated questionnaires, with over 66,000 patient responses on asthma, COPD, and COVID-19. Further, bespoke data collection is possible by working with GPs to collect new research via patient-reported questionnaires. Findings to Date The OPCRD has contributed to over 96 peer-reviewed research publications since its inception encompassing a broad range of medical conditions, including COVID-19. Conclusion The OPCRD represents a unique resource with great potential to support epidemiological research, from retrospective observational studies through to embedded cluster-randomised trials. Advantages of the OPCRD over other EMR databases are its large size, UK-wide geographical coverage, the availability of up-to-date patient data from all major GP software systems, and the unique collection of patient-reported information on respiratory health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Lynam
- Momentum Data, Pendragon House, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, UK
| | | | - Brooklyn Stanley
- Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Heath Heatley
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Chloe Worthington
- Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Emma-Jane Roberts
- Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Christopher Price
- Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Victoria Carter
- Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - John Dennis
- Momentum Data, Pendragon House, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Andrew McGovern
- Momentum Data, Pendragon House, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, UK
- Correspondence: Andrew McGovern, Momentum Data, Pendragon House, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, UK, Email
| | - David Price
- Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
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Shah SA, Quint JK, Sheikh A. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on asthma exacerbations: Retrospective cohort study of over 500,000 patients in a national English primary care database. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2022; 19:100428. [PMID: 35756853 PMCID: PMC9213032 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Background Several countries reported a substantial reduction in asthma exacerbations associated with COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions. However, it is not known if these early reported declines were short-term and if these have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels following easing of lockdown restrictions. Methods We undertook a retrospective, cohort study of all asthma patients in a national primary care database of almost 10 million patients, Optimum Patient Care Database (OPCRD), identified from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2015, using a previously validated algorithm. We subsequently followed the identified cohort of asthma patients from January 1, 2016, to October 3, 2021, and identified every asthma exacerbation episode with a validated algorithm. To quantify any pandemic-related change in exacerbations, we created a control time-series (mean of 2016-2019) and then compared the change in exacerbation rate in 2020-2021 over quarterly periods when compared with the control period (the pre-pandemic period). We undertook overall and stratified analyses by age group, sex, and English region. Findings We identified 100,362 asthma patients (502,669 patient-years) from across England who experienced at least one exacerbation episode (298,390 exacerbation episodes during the entire follow-up). Except for the first quarter of 2020, the exacerbation rates were substantially lower (>25%) during all quarters in 2020-2021 when compared with the rates during 2016-2019 (39.7% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 34.6, 44.9) in quarter-2, 2020; 46.5% (95%CI: 36.7, 56.4) in quarter-3, 2020; 56.3% (95%CI: 48.7, 63.9) in quarter-4, 2020; 63.2% (95%CI: 53.9, 72.5) in quarter-1, 2021; 57.7% (95%CI: 52.9, 62.4) in quarter-2, 2021; 53.3% (95%CI: 43.8, 62.8) in quarter-3, 2021). Interpretation There was a substantial and persistent reduction in asthma exacerbations across England over the first 18 months after the first lockdown. This is unlikely to be adequately explained by changes in health-seeking behaviour, pandemic-related healthcare service disruption, or any air-quality improvements. Funding Asthma UK, Health Data Research UK (HDR UK), Medical Research Council (MRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Ahmar Shah
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Aziz Sheikh
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Price DB, Henley W, Cançado JED, Fabbri LM, Kerstjens HAM, Papi A, Roche N, Şen E, Singh D, Vogelmeier CF, Barille S, Nudo E, Carter V, Skinner D, Vella R, Georges G. Interclass Difference in Pneumonia Risk in COPD Patients Initiating Fixed Dose Inhaled Treatment Containing Extrafine Particle Beclometasone versus Fine Particle Fluticasone. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2022; 17:355-370. [PMID: 35210765 PMCID: PMC8858000 DOI: 10.2147/copd.s342357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) afford therapeutic benefits in some COPD patients, but their widespread use is cautioned due to an increased risk of developing pneumonia. Subclass variations exist, and the risk profile differs for individual ICS. Formulation particle size has been identified as a potential effect modifier. The present study compared the risk of pneumonia among new COPD users of fixed-dose combination inhalers containing fine-particle fluticasone (fp-FDC-F) versus extrafine particle beclometasone (ef-FDC-BDP). Methods A propensity matched historical cohort study was conducted using data from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database. COPD patients aged ≥40 years with ≥1 year of continuous medical data who initiated fp-FDC-F or ef-FDC-BDP were compared. The primary outcome was time to pneumonia event, as treated, using either sensitive (physician diagnosed) or specific (physician diagnosed and x-ray or hospital admission confirmed) definitions. Results A total of 13,316 patients were matched. Initiation of fp-FDC-F (mean dosage furoate 99 µg; propionate 710 µg) was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia versus ef-FDC-BDP (mean beclometasone dose 395 µg), irrespective of definition (sensitive HR 1.38 95% CI 1.14–1.68; specific HR 1.31 95% CI 1.05–1.62). Conclusion In the current investigation, we found that in comparison to extrafine beclomethasone, commencing a formulation containing fluticasone is associated with an increased risk of developing pneumonia. These observations support the idea that not all ICS are equal in their adverse effects and subclass variations exist and should be carefully considered in the treatment choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- Correspondence: David B Price, Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, 22 Sin Ming Lane, #06-76, Midview City, 573969, Singapore, Email
| | - William Henley
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
- Health Statistics Group, Institute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Leonardo M Fabbri
- Respiratory Medicine, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Huib A M Kerstjens
- Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University of Groningen and University Medical Centre Groningen, and Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Alberto Papi
- Respiratory Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Nicolas Roche
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, APHP-Centre University of Paris, Cochin Institute, Paris, France
| | - Elif Şen
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Dave Singh
- Division of Infection, Immunity & Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Claus F Vogelmeier
- Department of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Marburg, Member of the German Centre for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | - Sara Barille
- Global Medical Affairs, Chiesi Farmaceutici, S.p.A., Parma, Italy
| | - Elena Nudo
- Global Medical Affairs, Chiesi Farmaceutici, S.p.A., Parma, Italy
| | | | - Derek Skinner
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Rebecca Vella
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - George Georges
- Global Clinical Development, Chiesi Farmaceutici, S.p.A., Parma, Italy
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Price D, Menzies-Gow A, Bachert C, Canonica GW, Kocks J, Khan AH, Ye F, Rowe PJ, Lu Y, Kamat S, Carter V, Voorham J. Association Between a Type 2 Inflammatory Disease Burden Score and Outcomes Among Patients with Asthma. J Asthma Allergy 2021; 14:1173-1183. [PMID: 34616157 PMCID: PMC8488033 DOI: 10.2147/jaa.s321212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although prevalence of co-existing type 2 inflammatory diseases (cT2) in asthma patients has been reported, limited data exist regarding their impact on asthma outcomes. Objective To assess the impact of cT2 burden on asthma outcomes and to evaluate patterns of clustering of cT2 in a real-world setting. Methods From medical records of 4.5 million enrollees in 650 primary care practices in the UK (January 2010–December 2017), patients with ≥1 diagnosis code for asthma at any time pre-index date (date of most recent asthma-related medical encounter) and ≥2 asthma-related prescriptions during the year before index date were categorized into the Global Initiative of Asthma (GINA) guideline severity steps. A cT2 burden score (range 0–9) was assigned based on the total number of co-existing conditions (allergic conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, anaphylaxis, eczema/atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, food allergy, nasal polyps, or urticaria) for which patients received a medical diagnosis. Multivariate regression models evaluated associations between cT2 burden score and asthma exacerbations and asthma control. Factor analysis was performed to assess which cT2 comorbidities were correlated and exhibited patterns of clustering. Results Overall, 245,893 patients with asthma were included (mean [SD] age 44.8 [22.1] years; 43.8% male). Between 55% (GINA step 1) and 60% (GINA step 5) of asthma patients had a medical diagnosis for ≥1 other type2dx. Patients with increased cT2 burden were significantly more likely to experience asthma exacerbations and less likely to achieve asthma control. Conclusion Asthma patients with a higher cumulative cT2 burden score were more likely to experience worse asthma outcomes than those without any cT2 (burden score of 0).
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Affiliation(s)
- David Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI), Singapore.,Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
| | | | - Claus Bachert
- Upper Airways Research Laboratory, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Giorgio Walter Canonica
- Personalized Medicine Asthma and Allergy Center, Humanitas University and Research Hospital, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Janwillem Kocks
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI), Singapore
| | | | - Fen Ye
- Sanofi, Bridgewater, NJ, USA
| | | | - Yufang Lu
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westchester County, NY, USA
| | - Siddhesh Kamat
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westchester County, NY, USA
| | - Victoria Carter
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI), Singapore
| | - Jaco Voorham
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute (OPRI), Singapore.,Data to Insights Research Solutions, Lisbon, Portugal
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Shah SA, Quint JK, Nwaru BI, Sheikh A. Impact of COVID-19 national lockdown on asthma exacerbations: interrupted time-series analysis of English primary care data. Thorax 2021; 76:860-866. [PMID: 33782080 PMCID: PMC8011425 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of COVID-19 and ensuing national lockdown on asthma exacerbations is unclear. METHODS We conducted an interrupted time-series (lockdown on 23 March 2020 as point of interruption) analysis in asthma cohort identified using a validated algorithm from a national-level primary care database, the Optimum Patient Care Database. We derived asthma exacerbation rates for every week and compared exacerbation rates in the period: January to August 2020 with a pre-COVID-19 period and January to August 2016-2019. Exacerbations were defined as asthma-related hospital attendance/admission (including accident and emergency visit), or an acute course of oral corticosteroids with evidence of respiratory review, as recorded in primary care. We used a generalised least squares modelling approach and stratified the analyses by age, sex, English region and healthcare setting. RESULTS From a database of 9 949 387 patients, there were 100 165 patients with asthma who experienced at least one exacerbation during 2016-2020. Of 278 996 exacerbation episodes, 49 938 (17.9%) required hospital visit. Comparing pre-lockdown to post-lockdown period, we observed a statistically significant reduction in the level (-0.196 episodes per person-year; p<0.001; almost 20 episodes for every 100 patients with asthma per year) of exacerbation rates across all patients. The reductions in level in stratified analyses were: 0.005-0.244 (healthcare setting, only those without hospital attendance/admission were significant), 0.210-0.277 (sex), 0.159-0.367 (age), 0.068-0.590 (region). CONCLUSIONS There has been a significant reduction in attendance to primary care for asthma exacerbations during the pandemic. This reduction was observed in all age groups, both sexes and across most regions in England.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed A Shah
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jennifer K Quint
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Bright I Nwaru
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Krefting Research Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Aziz Sheikh
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Kerkhof M, Tran TN, Allehebi R, Canonica GW, Heaney LG, Hew M, Perez de Llano L, Wechsler ME, Bulathsinhala L, Carter VA, Chaudhry I, Eleangovan N, Murray RB, Price CA, Price DB. Asthma Phenotyping in Primary Care: Applying the International Severe Asthma Registry Eosinophil Phenotype Algorithm Across All Asthma Severities. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE 2021; 9:4353-4370. [PMID: 34403837 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2021.07.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We developed an eosinophil phenotype gradient algorithm and applied it to a large severe asthma cohort (International Severe Asthma Registry). OBJECTIVE We sought to reapply this algorithm in a UK primary care asthma cohort, quantify the eosinophilic phenotype, and assess the relationship between the likelihood of an eosinophilic phenotype and asthma severity/health care resource use (HCRU). METHODS Patients age 13 years and older with active asthma and blood eosinophil count or 1 or greater, who were included from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, were categorized according to the likelihood of eosinophilic phenotype using the International Severe Asthma Registry gradient eosinophilic algorithm. Patient demographic, clinical and HCRU characteristics were described for each phenotype. RESULTS Of 241,006 patients, 50.3%, 22.2%, and 21.9% most likely (grade 3), likely (grade 2), and least likely (grade 1), respectively, had an eosinophilic phenotype, and 5.6% had a noneosinophilic phenotype (grade 0). Compared with patients with noneosinophilic asthma, those most likely to have an eosinophilic phenotype tended to have more comorbidities (percentage with Charlson comorbidity index of ≥2: 28.2% vs 6.9%) and experienced more asthma attacks (percentage with one or more attack: 24.8% vs 15.3%). These patients were also more likely to have asthma that was difficult to treat (31.1% vs 18.3%), to receive more intensive treatment (percentage on Global Initiative for Asthma 2020 step 4 or 5: 44.2% vs 27.5%), and greater HCRU (eg, 10.8 vs 7.9 general practitioner all-cause consultations per year). CONCLUSIONS The eosinophilic asthma phenotype predominates in primary care and is associated with greater asthma severity and HCRU. These patients may benefit from earlier and targeted asthma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjan Kerkhof
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Riyad Allehebi
- Department of Pulmonology, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - G Walter Canonica
- Personalized Medicine Asthma and Allergy Clinic, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS, Rozzano, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
| | - Liam G Heaney
- UK Severe Asthma Network and National Registry Centre and Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Hew
- Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology Service, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia; Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Luis Perez de Llano
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti, Lugo, Spain
| | - Michael E Wechsler
- NJH Cohen Family Asthma Institute, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colo
| | - Lakmini Bulathsinhala
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria A Carter
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Isha Chaudhry
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Neva Eleangovan
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth B Murray
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chris A Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David B Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
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Busse WW, Wenzel SE, Casale TB, FitzGerald JM, Rice MS, Daizadeh N, Deniz Y, Patel N, Harel S, Rowe PJ, Graham NMH, O'Riordan T, Pavord ID. Baseline FeNO as a prognostic biomarker for subsequent severe asthma exacerbations in patients with uncontrolled, moderate-to-severe asthma receiving placebo in the LIBERTY ASTHMA QUEST study: a post-hoc analysis. THE LANCET RESPIRATORY MEDICINE 2021; 9:1165-1173. [PMID: 34181876 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-2600(21)00124-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has potential as a prognostic biomarker in asthma, but its prognostic value among other recognised indicators is unclear. We assessed the added prognostic value of baseline FeNO to blood eosinophil count and prior severe asthma exacerbations for subsequent exacerbations. METHODS In this post-hoc analysis of the 52-week, double-blind, phase 3 LIBERTY ASTHMA QUEST study, we identified 620 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma who were randomly assigned to placebo; had uncontrolled asthma with inhaled glucocorticoids plus up to two controllers; one or more exacerbations in the previous year; FEV1 percent predicted 40-80%; FEV1 reversibility of 12% or higher and 200 mL; Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-5) score of 1·5 or higher; and complete data on baseline type 2 biomarkers (FeNO, eosinophils, and total IgE) with no baseline minimum requirement. Annualised severe exacerbation rate was assessed by baseline FeNO (<25 ppb, ≥25 to <50 ppb, ≥50 ppb; negative binomial model) and cross-classified by baseline blood eosinophils (<150 cells per μL, ≥150 to <300 cells per μL, ≥300 cells per μL) and prior exacerbations (one, two or more), all adjusted for baseline ACQ-5, postbronchodilator FEV1, and other clinical characteristics. Post-hoc analyses were done in the intention-to-treat population. The LIBERTY ASTHMA QUEST STUDY is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02414854, and is complete. FINDINGS Patients with baseline FeNO of 50 ppb or higher (n=144) had a 1·54-times higher exacerbation rate than patients with FeNO of less than 25 ppb (n=291; relative risk 1·54 [95% CI 1·11-2·14]; p=0·0097). Patients with baseline FeNO of 25 to <50 ppb (n=185) had a 1·33-times higher exacerbation rate than patients with FeNO of less than 25 ppb (1·33 [0·99-1·78]; p=0·0572). Patients with baseline FeNO of 25 ppb or higher, a blood eosinophil count of 150 cells per μL or higher, and two or more prior exacerbations (n=157) had an exacerbation rate 3·62-times higher than patients with FeNO of less than 25 ppb, a blood eosinophil count of less than 150 cells per μL, and one prior exacerbation (n=116; 3·62 [1·67-7·81]; p=0·0011). INTERPRETATION In uncontrolled, moderate-to-severe asthma, higher baseline FeNO levels were associated with greater risk of severe asthma exacerbations, particularly in combination with elevated eosinophil count and prior exacerbations, supporting the added value of FeNO as a prognostic biomarker. Further research is needed to confirm FeNO as an independent predictor for asthma exacerbations. FUNDING Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- William W Busse
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Sally E Wenzel
- Asthma Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Thomas B Casale
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yamo Deniz
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | | | - Sivan Harel
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ian D Pavord
- National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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10
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Tran TN, Kerkhof M, Carter V, Price DB. Persistence of Eosinophilic Asthma Endotype and Clinical Outcomes: A Real-World Observational Study. J Asthma Allergy 2021; 14:727-742. [PMID: 34211281 PMCID: PMC8242130 DOI: 10.2147/jaa.s306416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Eosinophil count elevations are predictive of adverse outcomes in patients with asthma, yet little is known regarding longitudinal eosinophil patterns and their association with clinical outcomes. The goal of this study was to assess associations between longitudinal persistence of eosinophil elevations and both clinical outcomes and health care resource utilization (HCRU). Methods Data were extracted from 2 databases in the United Kingdom. Patients included were aged ≥13 years, had active asthma, and had ≥3 blood eosinophil count (BEC) recordings. Patients were categorized by BEC as: never high (all BEC ≤300 cells/µL), intermittently high (≥1 BEC >300 cells/µL but <75% of BEC >300 cells/µL), or persistently high (≥75% of BEC >300 cells/µL). Asthma exacerbations, asthma control (risk domain, overall, and full), and HCRU were evaluated for 12 months after the last BEC. Results The study population comprised 148,021 patients. Persistently high, intermittently high, and never high eosinophil patterns were detected in 13.6%, 40.5%, and 45.9% of patients, respectively. Patients with ≥1 elevated BEC were at greater risk for severe asthma exacerbations, regardless of whether the elevation was persistent (rate ratio [RR]: 1.28 [95% CI 1.24–1.33]; P < 0.001) or intermittent (RR: 1.24 [95% CI 1.21–1.27]; P < 0.001), compared with patients with no eosinophil elevations. Full asthma control was achieved by <25% of patients across eosinophil pattern groups, and HCRU did not appreciably differ, although patients with persistently high BEC had the shortest hospital stay duration among the groups. Conclusion These data suggest that elevated blood eosinophils, regardless of persistency, signify increased risk of severe asthma exacerbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trung N Tran
- Global Medicine Development, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | | | - Victoria Carter
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore.,Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK
| | - David B Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore.,Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK.,Division of Applied Health Sciences, Centre of Academic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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11
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Nwaru BI, Shah SA, Tibble H, Pillinger R, McLean S, Ryan D, Critchley H, Hawrylowicz CM, Simpson CR, Soyiri IN, Appiagyei F, Price D, Sheikh A. Hormone Replacement Therapy and Risk of Severe Asthma Exacerbation in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: 17-Year National Cohort Study. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE 2021; 9:2751-2760.e1. [PMID: 33705997 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2021.02.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on clinical outcomes in menopausal women is uncertain. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between use of HRT and severe asthma exacerbation in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with asthma. METHODS We used the Optimum Patient Care Research Database, a population-based longitudinal primary care database in the United Kingdom, to construct a 17-year (January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2016) cohort of perimenopausal and postmenopausal (46-70 years, N = 31,656) women. We defined use of HRT, its subtypes, and duration of HRT use. Severe asthma exacerbation was defined as an asthma-related hospitalization, emergency department visits due to asthma, and/or prescription of oral corticosteroids. Analyses were undertaken using multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression. RESULTS At baseline, 22% of women were using any HRT, 11% combined HRT, and 11% estrogen-only HRT. Previous, but not current, use of any (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-1.26), combined (IRR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.25-1.31), and estrogen-only HRT (IRR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.14-1.21), and longer duration (1-2 years: IRR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.13-1.19; 3-4 years: IRR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.38-1.48; 5+ years: IRR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.28-1.36) of HRT use were associated with increased risk of severe asthma exacerbation compared with nonuse. The risk estimates were greater among lean women (body mass index [BMI] <25 kg/m2) than among heavier women (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 and ≥30 kg/m2) and higher among smokers than nonsmokers. CONCLUSION Use of HRT and subtypes, particularly previous, but not current, use and use for more than 2 years, is associated with an increased risk of severe asthma exacerbation in perimenopausal/postmenopausal women with established asthma. Lean women and smokers are at greater risk than heavier women and nonsmokers, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bright I Nwaru
- Krefting Research Centre, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Syed A Shah
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Holly Tibble
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Pillinger
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Susannah McLean
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dermot Ryan
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Hilary Critchley
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine M Hawrylowicz
- Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, Guys Hospital, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Colin R Simpson
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; School of Health, Wellington Faculty of Health, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Ireneous N Soyiri
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Hull York Medical School, Institute for Clinical and Applied Health Research (ICAHR), University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom
| | | | - David Price
- Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom; Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Aziz Sheikh
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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12
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De Jong HJI, Voorham J, Scadding GK, Bachert C, Canonica GW, Smith P, Wahn U, Ryan D, Castillo JA, Carter VA, Murray RB, Price DB. Evaluating the real-life effect of MP-AzeFlu on asthma outcomes in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma in UK primary care. World Allergy Organ J 2020; 13:100490. [PMID: 33376573 PMCID: PMC7753940 DOI: 10.1016/j.waojou.2020.100490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background MP-AzeFlu (Dymista®; spray of azelastine/fluticasone propionate) is the most effective allergic rhinitis (AR) treatment available. Its effect on asthma outcomes in patients with AR and asthma is unknown. Methods This pre-post historical cohort study, using the Optimum Patient Care Research Database, included patients aged ≥12 years, from UK general practice with active asthma (defined as a recorded diagnosis, with ≥1 prescription for reliever or controller inhaler) in the year before or at the initiation date. The primary study outcome was change in number of acute respiratory events (i.e. exacerbation or antibiotic course for a respiratory event) between baseline and outcome years. The effect size of MP-AzeFlu was quantified as the difference in % of patients that improved and worsened. Results Of the 1,188 patients with AR and asthma included, many had a record of irreversible obstruction (67%), and uncontrolled asthma (70.4%), despite high mean daily doses of reliever/controller therapy and acute oral corticosteroid use, in the year pre-MP-AzeFlu initiation. MP-AzeFlu initiation was associated with fewer acute respiratory events (effect size (e) = 5.8%, p = 0.0129) and a reduction in daily use of short-acting β2-agonists, with fewer patients requiring >2 SABA puffs/week (e = 7.7% p < 0.0001). More patients had well-controlled asthma 1-year post-MP-AzeFlu initiation (e = 4.1%; p = 0.0037), despite a reduction in inhaled corticosteroids (e = 4.8%; p = 0.0078). Conclusions This study provides the first direct evidence of the beneficial effect of MP-AzeFlu on asthma outcomes in co-morbid patients in primary care in the United Kingdom. Trial registration EUPAS30940. Registered August 13, 2019.
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Key Words
- ADEPT, Anonymized data ethics & protocol transparency
- AR, Allergic rhinitis
- ATS, American Thoracic society
- BEC, Blood eosinophil count
- CRS, Chronic rhinosinusitis
- Control
- ERS, European respiratory society
- Exacerbations
- FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s
- FVC, Forced vital capacity
- GERD, Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- GINA, Global initiative for asthma
- ICS, Inhaled corticosteroid
- INS, Intranasal corticosteroid
- NP, Nasal polyps
- OAC, Overall asthma control
- OAH, Oral anti-histamine
- OCS, Oral corticosteroid
- OPCRD, Optimum patient care research database
- OTC, Over the counter
- PEF, Peak expiratory flow rate
- RCT, Randomized controlled trial
- RDAC, Risk domain asthma control
- Rescue medication
- SABA, Short-acting β2-agonist
- SMD, Standardised mean difference
- UK, United Kingdom
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaco Voorham
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Glenis K Scadding
- Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, University College London School of Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Giorgio Walter Canonica
- Personalized Medicine Asthma & Allergy Clinic, Humanitas University & Research Hospital, SANI-Severe Asthma Network, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter Smith
- Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Dermot Ryan
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - David B Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore.,Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK.,Academic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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13
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Ryan D, Heatley H, Heaney LG, Jackson DJ, Pfeffer PE, Busby J, Menzies-Gow AN, Jones R, Tran TN, Al-Ahmad M, Backer V, Belhassen M, Bosnic-Anticevich S, Bourdin A, Bulathsinhala L, Carter V, Chaudhry I, Eleangovan N, FitzGerald JM, Gibson PG, Hosseini N, Kaplan A, Murray RB, Rhee CK, Van Ganse E, Price DB. Potential Severe Asthma Hidden in UK Primary Care. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE 2020; 9:1612-1623.e9. [PMID: 33309935 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.11.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe asthma may be underrecognized in primary care. OBJECTIVE Identify and quantify patients with potential severe asthma (PSA) in UK primary care, the proportion not referred, and compare primary care patients with PSA with patients with confirmed severe asthma from UK tertiary care. METHODS This was a historical cohort study including patients from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database (aged ≥16 years, active asthma diagnosis pre-2014) and UK patients in the International Severe Asthma Registry (UK-ISAR aged ≥18 years, confirmed severe asthma in tertiary care). In the OPCRD, PSA was defined as Global INitiative for Asthma 2018 step 4 treatment and 2 or more exacerbations/y or at Global INitiative for Asthma step 5. The proportion of these patients and their referral status in the last year were quantified. Demographic and clinical characteristics of groups were compared. RESULTS Of 207,557 Optimum Patient Care Research Database patients with asthma, 16,409 (8%) had PSA. Of these, 72% had no referral/specialist review in the past year. Referred patients with PSA tended to have greater prevalence of inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist add-ons (54.1 vs 39.8%), and experienced significantly (P < .001) more exacerbations per year (median, 3 vs 2/y), worse asthma control, and worse lung function (% predicted postbronchodilator FEV1/forced vital capacity, 0.69 vs 0.72) versus nonreferred patients. Confirmed patients with severe asthma (ie, UK patients in the International Severe Asthma Registry) were younger (51 vs 65 years; P < .001), and significantly (P < .001) more likely to have uncontrolled asthma (91.4% vs 62.5%), a higher exacerbation rate (4/y [initial assessment] vs 3/y), use inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist add-ons (67.7% vs 54.1%), and have nasal polyposis (24.2% vs 6.8) than referred patients with PSA. CONCLUSIONS Large numbers of patients with PSA in the United Kingdom are underrecognized in primary care. These patients would benefit from a more systematic assessment in primary care and possible specialist referral.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dermot Ryan
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Heath Heatley
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Liam G Heaney
- UK Severe Asthma Network and National Registry, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - David J Jackson
- UK Severe Asthma Network and National Registry, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust and Division of Asthma, Allergy & Lung Biology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul E Pfeffer
- UK Severe Asthma Network, Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Busby
- UK Severe Asthma Network and National Registry, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Andrew N Menzies-Gow
- UK Severe Asthma Network and National Registry, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rupert Jones
- Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mona Al-Ahmad
- Al-Rashed Allergy Center, Ministry of Health, Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait
| | - Vibeke Backer
- Department of ENT & Centre for Physical Activity Research, Rigshospitalet and Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Manon Belhassen
- PELyon, HESPER 7425, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich
- Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District, Glebe, NSW, Australia
| | - Arnaud Bourdin
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, Montpellier University Hospitals, Arnaud de Villeneuve Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Lakmini Bulathsinhala
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Carter
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Isha Chaudhry
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Neva Eleangovan
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Peter G Gibson
- Australian Severe Asthma Network, Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Alan Kaplan
- Family Physician Airways Group of Canada, Stouffville, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Chin Kook Rhee
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eric Van Ganse
- PELyon, HESPER 7425, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - David B Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
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14
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Nwaru BI, Tibble H, Shah SA, Pillinger R, McLean S, Ryan DP, Critchley H, Price DB, Hawrylowicz CM, Simpson CR, Soyiri IN, Appiagyei F, Sheikh A. Hormonal contraception and the risk of severe asthma exacerbation: 17-year population-based cohort study. Thorax 2020; 76:109-115. [PMID: 33234554 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Longitudinal studies investigating impact of exogenous sex steroids on clinical outcomes of asthma in women are lacking. We investigated the association between use of hormonal contraceptives and risk of severe asthma exacerbation in reproductive-age women with asthma. METHODS We used the Optimum Patient Care Research Database, a population-based, longitudinal, anonymised primary care database in the UK, to construct a 17-year (1 January 2000-31 December 2016) retrospective cohort of reproductive-age (16-45 years, n=83 084) women with asthma. Using Read codes, we defined use, subtypes and duration of use of hormonal contraceptives. Severe asthma exacerbation was defined according to recommendations of the European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society as asthma-related hospitalisation, accident and emergency department visits due to asthma and/or oral corticosteroid prescriptions. Analyses were done using multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression with QR decomposition. RESULTS The 17-year follow-up resulted in 456 803 person-years of follow-up time. At baseline, 34% of women were using any hormonal contraceptives, 25% combined (oestrogen/progestogen) and 9% progestogen-only contraceptives. Previous (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.94, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.97) and current (IRR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.98) use of any, previous (IRR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.97) and current use of combined (IRR 0.93, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.96) and longer duration of use (3-4 years: IRR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.97; 5+ years: IRR 0.91, 95% CI 0.89 to 0.93) of hormonal contraceptives, but not progestogen-only contraceptives, were associated with reduced risk of severe asthma exacerbation compared with non-use. CONCLUSIONS Use of hormonal contraceptives may reduce the risk of severe asthma exacerbation in reproductive-age women. Mechanistic studies investigating the biological basis for the influence of hormonal contraceptives on clinical outcomes of asthma in women are required. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER European Union electronic Register of Post-Authorisation Studies (EUPAS22967).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bright I Nwaru
- Krefting Research Centre, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Goteborg, Sweden .,Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Holly Tibble
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Syed A Shah
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rebecca Pillinger
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susannah McLean
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Dermot P Ryan
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Optimum Patient Care, 5 Coles Lane, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hilary Critchley
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David B Price
- Optimum Patient Care, 5 Coles Lane, Cambridge, UK.,Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.,Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore
| | - Catherine M Hawrylowicz
- Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, Guys Hospital, King's College London, UK, London, UK
| | - Colin R Simpson
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,School of Health, Wellington Faculty of Health, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Ireneous N Soyiri
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Hull York Medical School, Institute for Clinical and Applied Health Research (ICAHR), University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | | | - Aziz Sheikh
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Centre for Medical Informatics, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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15
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De Keyser HH, Szefler S. Asthma attacks in children are always preceded by poor asthma control: myth or maxim? Breathe (Sheff) 2020; 16:200169. [PMID: 33447278 PMCID: PMC7792762 DOI: 10.1183/20734735.0169-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Some, but not all, asthma exacerbations in children are preceded by poor asthma control https://bit.ly/3muIy6h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather H. De Keyser
- University of Colorado School of Medicine; Children's Hospital Colorado, Breathing Institute, Aurora, CO, USA
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16
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Thickett D, Voorham J, Ryan R, Jones R, Coker R, Wilson AM, Yang S, Ow MY, Raju P, Chaudhry I, Hardjojo A, Carter V, Price DB. Historical database cohort study addressing the clinical patterns prior to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis in UK primary care. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e034428. [PMID: 32474425 PMCID: PMC7264834 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical pathways, including signs and symptoms, and symptom progression patterns preceding idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis. DESIGN AND SETTING A historical cohort study was conducted using primary care patient records from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database. PARTICIPANTS Patients included were at least 30 years, had IPF diagnosis, identified via clinical-coding and free-text records and had a consultation with a chest specialist prior to IPF diagnosis. OUTCOME MEASURES The signs and symptoms in the year prior to IPF diagnosis from clinical codes and free-text in primary care electronic records included: cough, dyspnoea, dry cough, weight loss, fatigue/malaise, loss of appetite, crackles and clubbed fingers. The time course of presentations of clinical features and investigations in the years prior to IPF diagnosis were mapped. RESULTS Within 462 patients identified, the majority (77.9%) had a respiratory consultation within 365 days prior to the chest specialist visit preceding the IPF diagnosis recorded in their primary care records. The most common symptoms recorded in the 1 year prior to IPF diagnosis were dyspnoea (48.7%) and cough (40.9%); other signs and symptoms were rarely recorded (<5%). The majority of patients with cough (58.0%) and dyspnoea (55.0%) in the 1 year before IPF diagnosis had multiple recordings of the respective symptoms. Both cough and dyspnoea were recorded in 23.4% of patients in the year prior to diagnosis. Consultation rates for cough, dyspnoea and both, but not other signs or symptoms, began to increase 4 to 5 years prior diagnosis, with the sharpest increase in the last year. Cough and dyspnoea were often preceded by a reduction in measured weight over 5 years leading to IPF diagnosis. CONCLUSION Prolonged cough and/or progressive dyspnoea, especially if accompanied with weight loss, should signal for a referral to specialist assessment at the earliest opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Thickett
- Institute of Inflammation, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jaco Voorham
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Ronan Ryan
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Rupert Jones
- Peninsula Medical School, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | | | - Andrew M Wilson
- Respiratory and Airways Group, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Sen Yang
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Mandy Yl Ow
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Priyanka Raju
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Isha Chaudhry
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Antony Hardjojo
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Victoria Carter
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - David B Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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17
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Vervloet M, van Dijk L, Spreeuwenberg P, Price D, Chisholm A, Van Ganse E, Pinnock H, Rand CS, Eakin MN, Schermer T, Souverein PC, Dima AL. The Relationship Between Real-World Inhaled Corticosteroid Adherence and Asthma Outcomes: A Multilevel Approach. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE 2019; 8:626-634. [PMID: 31541763 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) adherence is associated with increased asthma burden. This relationship is likely bidirectional, and may vary across adherence stages (initiation, implementation, and persistence). Studies rarely examine reciprocal influences. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between ICS implementation and asthma-related outcomes over 2 years, considering bidirectionality and temporal sequence. METHODS Primary care records (1987-2012) from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database, United Kingdom, were used. Eligible patients were 6 years or older and had 3 or more years of continuous registration starting 1 year before ICS initiation (index date), physician-diagnosed asthma, 2 or more ICS and/or short-acting β-agonist prescriptions each follow-up year, and no long-acting β-agonists, leukotriene receptor antagonists, or maintenance oral corticosteroids in the preceding year. ICS implementation (percentage of days covered) and risk domain asthma control (RDAC; no asthma-related hospitalizations, emergency visits, or outpatient visits and no oral corticosteroid or antibiotic prescriptions with evidence of respiratory review) were estimated for each prescription interval (period between 2 successive prescriptions). Multilevel analyses modeled bidirectional relationships between ICS implementation and RDAC (and its components), controlling for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS In prescription data from 10,472 patients, ICS implementation in the preceding interval did not predict RDAC, but was weakly positively associated with simultaneous RDAC. Being male, non-current smoker, without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnosis, and with fewer than 4 comorbidities significantly increased odds of RDAC. Asthma-related antibiotics and outpatient visits in the same interval and short-acting β-agonist overuse in the preceding and same interval predicted lower ICS implementation. CONCLUSIONS Patients may adapt their ICS use to their current needs without this impacting later RDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia Vervloet
- Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Liset van Dijk
- Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of PharmacoTherapy, -Epidemiology & -Economics (PTEE), Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Spreeuwenberg
- Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - David Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | - Eric Van Ganse
- Health Services and Performance Research (HESPER), Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France; Pharmaco Epidemiology Lyon (PELyon), Lyon, France; Respiratory Medicine, Croix-Rousse University Hospital, Lyon, France
| | - Hilary Pinnock
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Allergy and Respiratory Research Group, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Cynthia S Rand
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md
| | - Michelle N Eakin
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md
| | - Tjard Schermer
- Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Patrick C Souverein
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexandra L Dima
- Health Services and Performance Research (HESPER), Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
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18
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Park HS, Yoon D, Lee HY, Ban GY, Wan Yau Ming S, Jie JLZ, Carter V, Hardjojo A, Van Boven JFM, Price DB. Real-life effectiveness of inhaler device switch from dry powder inhalers to pressurized metred-dose inhalers in patients with asthma treated with ICS/LABA. Respirology 2019; 24:972-979. [PMID: 31038269 DOI: 10.1111/resp.13559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Mixed inhaler device use for asthma is associated with worse inhaler technique and outcomes. Given that relievers are commonly prescribed as pressurized metred-dose inhalers (pMDI), changing preventers from dry powder inhalers (DPI) to pMDI may improve asthma outcomes. This study aimed to assess the persistence and effectiveness of switching from DPI to pMDI for inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting β2 -agonist combination therapy (ICS/LABA). METHODS This was a historical cohort study using Ajou University Hospital (Korea) patient records. Persistence of switch was defined as receiving ≥1 pMDI and no DPI after the switch. Effectiveness of switch was assessed as the proportion without severe asthma exacerbation and the proportion achieving risk domain asthma control (RDAC; no asthma-related hospitalization, antibiotics without upper respiratory diagnosis or acute course of oral corticosteroids) and overall asthma control (OAC; RDAC and ≤ 200 μg salbutamol/≤500 μg terbutaline average daily dose) comparing 1 year after and before the switch. RESULTS Within 85 patients who switched from DPI to pMDI and persisted for a year, higher proportion were free from asthma exacerbation after the switch (mean difference in proportion = 0.129, 95% CI: 0.038-0.220). Switching to pMDI was also associated with better RDAC (75.3% vs 57.7%, P = 0.001) and OAC (57.7% vs 45.9%, P = 0.021). From the entire 117 patients who switched to fixed-dose combination (FDC)/ICS LABA pMDI, 76.1% (95% CI: 69.0-100.0%) patients persisted in the following 6 months. CONCLUSION Switching to and persisting with pMDI was associated with decreased asthma exacerbations and improved asthma control. The majority of patients persisted with the switch to pMDI for ICS/LABA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae-Sim Park
- Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon, Korea
| | - Dukyong Yoon
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Hyun Young Lee
- Department of Biostatistics, Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon, Korea
| | - Ga-Young Ban
- Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | | | | | | | | | - Job F M Van Boven
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David B Price
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore.,Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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