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JACI Highlights - June 2007
Peters et al - Real-world Evaluation of Asthma Control and Treatment (REACT): Findings from a national Web-based survey
In the June 2007 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Peters and colleagues report important findings on patients experiencing moderate to severe asthma for a year or more. They surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1812 moderate-to-severe asthmatics, via a Web-based survey. In 55% of the patients studied, asthma symptoms were not controlled even though most (87%) had healthcare insurance and did visit a healthcare provider. The researchers noted that of those whose asthma was not controlled, a significant number also had medical conditions such as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux), chronic sinus infections, or high blood pressure, which may contribute to the severity of their asthma. Likely contributing to poorly controlled asthma was the fact that only a minority of patients reported ever having received a personalized asthma action plan from their physicians (26% of "controlled" asthmatics and 35% of "uncontrolled" asthmatics). Concerning was the finding that 38% of controlled asthmatics and 54% of uncontrolled asthmatics reported having had an asthma exacerbation for which they feared for their life. They concluded that uncontrolled asthma is very frequent in patients who receive only standard asthma medications and do not receive a personalized plan for managing their asthma. Careful asthma care with individual treatment plans, use of a broader range of medications, and simultaneous treatment for other medical problems is needed for improvement in these moderate-to-severe asthma patients.
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