Photo Credit: Magicmine
In a retrospective cohort study published in the Journal of Asthma and Allergy, researchers evaluated the impact of emphysema on patients’ response to systemic therapy. The study included 86 patients with severe asthma (mean age, 56.1 years; 54% female). The investigators divided patients into two groups based on emphysema severity (5% or greater vs less than 5% lung zone affected). According to the findings, patients with 5% or greater emphysema were more likely to be ex-smokers, had poorer lung function (lower median FEV1), and had more comorbid COPD compared with those who had less than 5% emphysema. However, there were no significant differences in the response to treatment, as measured by annual acute exacerbation rates, oral corticosteroid reduction, Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores, FEV1 improvement, or Biologics Asthma Response Scores (BARS). The study authors concluded that despite the presence of emphysema, patients with severe asthma still respond similarly to systemic therapies.
