Study on Risk Factors and Outcomes in Adults with Frequent and Infrequent Acute Asthma Attacks

What this Trial Is About

Frequent acute asthma exacerbations may represent a distinct asthma phenotype and are an important cause of disease progression, reduced quality of life, increased healthcare use, and poor asthma control. Asthma affects 118% of the population worldwide, and the prevalence among adults aged 20 years or older in China is 4.2%, representing about 45.7 million people. An acute asthma exacerbation involves a rapid increase in symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough, together with deterioration in lung function requiring additional reliever medication. Patients with frequent exacerbations may have poorer asthma control, lower quality of life, higher use of inhaled glucocorticoids andor oral hormones, increased CRP and sputum eosinophils, faster decline in lung function, and a greater likelihood of continuing to experience frequent exacerbations. However, frequent exacerbations can occur across different levels of asthma severity, including mild to moderate asthma, and may also occur in patients with good treatment adherence and self-management. Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding asthma severity, disease control, blood and sputum eosinophils, FeNO, viral infection-related biomarkers, asthma duration, age of onset, race, and socioeconomic background as risk factors. The main objectives are to compare the baseline clinical, inflammatory, pathophysiological, comorbid, environmental pollutant, and meteorological exposure characteristics of patients with frequent and infrequent acute exacerbations regardless of asthma severity, and to develop a prediction model for frequent exacerbations. The study will also establish a cohort of patients with frequent acute asthma exacerbations to observe prognosis and response to treatment and identify prognostic factors. The study aims to support early identification of patients prone to frequent acute exacerbations, clarify factors associated with poor prognosis, explore underlying inflammatory and pathophysiological mechanisms, and help provide individualized approaches for treatment and prevention while reducing disease burden, healthcare use, and costs.

A Cohort Study of Risk Factors and Prognosis for Frequent Acute Asthma Exacerbations Phenotype