Highlights
- •The German Asthma Net Severe Asthma Registry is collecting long-term data from over 2000 patients.
- •This manuscript reports baseline characteristics of the recruited cohort.
- •Asthma control was suboptimal: more than 30% required emergency asthma treatment.
- •Long-term follow-up will assess whether (and how) asthma control can be optimised.
Abstract
Introduction.
The German Asthma Net Severe Asthma Registry is collecting long-term data from a large
cohort of patients aged ≥6 years with severe asthma. This manuscript presents their
baseline characteristics, and identifies relationships with exacerbations and/or poor
asthma control.
Methods.
The registry is collecting routine clinical parameters including: demographics and
medical history; disease characteristics (Asthma Control Questionnaire [ACQ]-5, forced
expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1]); exacerbations; and biomarkers (eosinophils, immunoglobulin E [IgE], fractional
exhaled nitric oxide [FeNO]).
Results.
These analyses include data from 2011 patients at 72 sites (91.9% adult). Children
(6–17 years) were more likely to be male, whereas more adults were female (males:
children/adults 62%/41%). Most were receiving inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist combinations (78%/81%); 38.0% of adults were receiving systemic steroids.
Asthma control was suboptimal in both groups: 21.5%/13.3% were controlled; 10.4%/49.1%
were symptomatic; 33.1%/37.2% received emergency asthma treatment in the previous
year. Median blood eosinophil (400/238 cells/μL) and IgE levels (494/186 IU/mL) were
higher in children; FeNO was lower (19/35 ppb). Patients with ≥2 exacerbations in
the previous year had lower FEV1 (absolute and % predicted) and IgE, and higher ACQ-5, FeNO and blood eosinophil levels
(all p < 0.05). There was a weak, negative correlation between ACQ-5 and FEV1% predicted in adults (p < 0.001).
Conclusions.
These analyses characterise the typical German patient with severe asthma, and provide
information on their overall care. Their planned long-term follow-up will assess whether
asthma control can be optimised, how best to do so, and most importantly how such
optimisation can benefit patients.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 26, 2022
Accepted:
February 23,
2022
Received in revised form:
February 22,
2022
Received:
November 3,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
