Photo Credit: Sinhyu

Among US patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and asthma or cystic fibrosis (CF), ABPA prevalence was highest among patients with CF and those with severe asthma, according to a study published by PLOS ONE. Joy Hsu, MD, and colleagues used two US health insurance claims databases to identify cohorts of patients with asthma, CF, and ABPA.  Among patients with CF, ABPA prevalence was 183.7/10,000 (Commercial/Medicare) and 134.6/10,000 (Medicaid). The overall ABPA prevalence among patients with asthma was 2.8/10,000 (Commercial/Medicare) and 1.0/10,000 (Medicaid). ABPA prevalence increased with asthma severity (Commercial/Medicare: mild 1.3, moderate 9.3, severe 70.6, Medicaid: mild 0.3, moderate 2.4, severe 32.4). “These results can be used as a benchmark for future studies or public health surveillance to better define the burden of ABPA in the US and to identify opportunities for improved strategies for ABPA prevention and treatment,” the study authors wrote.