Asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap (ACO) is a disorder that is not much known. This study addresses recently proposed guidelines and possible biomarkers in ACO, as well as cautious therapeutic methods, to help in diagnosis and laboratory studies. As a first step toward identifying ACO, a global advisory group suggested an organisational specification of major and minor parameters. ACO biomarkers such as serum periostin and YKL-40 can exist. A reasonable clinical approach to ACO is to combine a long-acting -agonist (LABA) and/or a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) with an inhaled corticosteroid early in the treatment regimen (ICS).
Both the guidelines suggested and the biomarkers identified for ACO help physicians classify this disorder and help researchers develop much needed future studies. Until such time as the clinical trials in specifically identified ACO patients are carried out, clinicians can treat possible ACO patients using the above strategy.
