World Asthma Day: Recent news on treatments, disparities, COVID-19 and more

The Healio Editors have compiled the most-read asthma news in 2022 in recognition of World Asthma Day.

Highlights include a call for switching to over-the-counter availability of asthma rescue inhalers; the link between asthma severity and COVID-19 outcomes; racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric acute asthma care; a study that found azithromycin improves asthma control and exacerbations in children; biomarkers predictive of inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting muscarinic antagonist treatment responses; and more.

Read these articles, and others, below, in no particular order.

Oral corticosteroid use, prior asthma hospitalization up risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes

Risk for COVID-19 hospitalization, ICU admission or death was increased for adults in Scotland with asthma who had a prior hospitalization or required two or more courses of oral corticosteroids in the previous 2 years. Read more

A call for switching to OTC availability of asthma rescue inhalers

In a viewpoint published in JAMA, authors propose that switching to over-the-counter availability of rescue inhalers would offer patients with asthma access to safer and more effective rescue therapy than what is currently available OTC. Read more

FDA approves first generic of Symbicort for asthma, COPD

In March, the FDA announced approval of the first generic of Symbicort — budesonide and formoterol fumarate dihydrate — Inhalation Aerosol for the treatment of asthma and COPD. Read more

Asthma severity tied to more severe COVID-19 outcomes

In a recent study, all asthma phenotypes were associated with risk for more severe COVID-19 outcomes, except for type 2 inflammation. Read more

Bronchiolitis tied to respiratory morbidity that persists into young adulthood

Long-term outcomes of bronchiolitis in infancy include a higher prevalence of asthma and more obstructive lung function patterns in young adulthood, researchers reported in BMJ Open Respiratory Research. Read more

Racial, ethnic disparities persist in pediatric acute care use for asthma

A recent study highlights different patterns of clinic and ED acute care use for asthma among non-Hispanic Black and bilingual Latino children compared with non-Hispanic white children. Read more

Air Quality Index associated with increased odds of exacerbations in children with asthma

A recent study linked the Air Quality Index with an increase in exacerbations requiring an ED visit or hospitalization among children with asthma living in Pennsylvania. Read more

Adding azithromycin to standard care improves asthma control, exacerbations in children

The addition of oral azithromycin to standard treatment improved asthma control and reduced exacerbations compared with standard treatment alone among children with poorly controlled asthma, according to data published in Chest. Read more

Switching to dry-powder inhaler cut carbon footprint without loss of asthma control

Patients with asthma who switched from a metered-dose inhaler to a dry-powder inhaler cut their inhaler carbon footprint by more than half, without loss of asthma control, according to data published in Thorax. Read more

Biomarkers that predict ICS, LAMA response may differ in adults vs adolescents with asthma

Biomarkers that predict response to inhaled corticosteroid or long-acting muscarinic antagonist treatment may differ between adults and adolescents with uncontrolled mild persistent asthma. Read more