VIDEO: Takeaways from CHEST: ‘We are undermining mild asthma’

In this Healio video exclusive, Nicola A. Hanania, MD, MS, discusses a symposium held during the CHEST Annual meeting that focused on approaches to treating mild asthma.

Although 80% of those with asthma have mild disease, mild asthma has still yet to be defined, according to Hanania, professor of medicine and director of the Airways Clinical Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine.

Since those with mild asthma can incur risk of exacerbation, the symposium addressed why it is important to understand mild asthma and the best approaches to treatment, Hanania, who is also the clinical sciences representative for the Baylor College of Medicine Faculty Senate, added.

“Our take home message from the mild asthma presentation is that we are undermining mild asthma in general,” Hanania told Healio. “Right now, the use of short-acting beta-agonists, or what we call SABA, alone may not be the best approach, but it should be also kept in mind that the number of refills of SABAs may reflect uncontrolled disease.”

References:

Lugogo NL. Patterns of short-acting beta2-agonist refills in us adults and adolescents with asthma across the disease severity spectrum. Presented at: CHEST Annual Meeting; Oct. 16-19, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee.

Panettieri RA. Lung function response to albuterol-budesonide versus albuterol when used repetitively over 1 and 4 weeks: Results from the DENALI study. Presented at: CHEST Annual Meeting; Oct. 16-19, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee.

For more information:

Nicola A. Hanania, MD, MS, can be reached on Twitter: @Hananianick.