Publications by authors named "Jenny Sparks"
Background: Asthma is the most common chronic childhood respiratory condition globally. Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-formoterol reliever-based regimens reduce the risk of asthma exacerbations compared with conventional short-acting β-agonist (SABA) reliever-based regimens in adults and adolescents. The current limited evidence for anti-inflammatory reliever therapy in children means it is unknown whether these findings are also applicable to children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To compare bronchodilator response after to salbutamol and budesonide/formoterol in adults with stable asthma.
Methods: A double-blind, cross-over, single-centre, placebo-controlled, non-inferiority trial. Adults with stable asthma were randomised to different orders of two treatment regimens: two actuations of placebo via MDI and one actuation of budesonide/formoterol 200/6 µg via turbuhaler; and one actuation of placebo turbuhaler and two actuations of salbutamol 100 µg via MDI.
Background: Janus Kinases (JAKs) mediate activity of many asthma-relevant cytokines. GDC-0214, an inhaled small molecule JAK1 inhibitor, has previously been shown to reduce fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in patients with mild asthma, but required an excessive number of inhalations.
Aim: To assess whether GDC-4379, a new inhaled JAK inhibitor, reduces FeNO and peripheral biomarkers of inflammation.
Article Synopsis
- * A study found a positive correlation between dietary fibre intake and immune responses to the influenza vaccine, particularly among first-time vaccinees, although results were not statistically significant.
- * In mice, increased dietary fibre improved vaccine responses through mechanisms related to short-chain fatty acids produced from fibre fermentation, highlighting potential implications for other vaccines like COVID-19.
Background: International asthma guidelines recommend against epinephrine (adrenaline) administration in acute asthma unless associated with anaphylaxis or angio-oedema. However, administration of intramuscular epinephrine in addition to nebulised selective β-agonist is recommended for acute severe or life-threatening asthma in many prehospital guidelines. We conducted a systematic review to determine the efficacy of epinephrine in comparison to selective β-agonist in acute asthma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: An as-needed combination preventer and reliever regimen was recently introduced as an alternative to conventional daily preventer treatment for mild asthma. In a subgroup analysis of the PRACTICAL study, a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of budesonide-formoterol reliever therapy versus maintenance budesonide plus terbutaline reliever therapy in adults with mild asthma, we recently reported that about two-thirds preferred as-needed combination preventer and reliever therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the relative importance of attributes associated with these two asthma therapies in this subgroup of participants who indicated their preferred treatment in the PRACTICAL study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In mild asthma, as-needed budesonide-formoterol is superior or noninferior to maintenance budesonide plus as-needed short-acting β-agonist in reducing severe exacerbations. In this pre-specified analysis, we investigated patterns of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and β-agonist use in PRACTICAL, a randomised controlled trial.
Methods: Participants were randomised 1:1 to as-needed budesonide-formoterol (200/6 μg Turbuhaler, one actuation) or maintenance budesonide (200 μg Turbuhaler, one actuation twice a day) with as-needed terbutaline (250 μg, two actuations) for 52 weeks.
Symptom-driven low-dose inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol is safe and effective in mild asthma and has been recommended as one of the preferred treatment regimens at steps 1 and 2 in the 2019 update of the Global Initiative for Asthma. However, there are no data on patient preferences for this regimen.A subgroup of participants in the PRACTICAL study (ACTRN12616000377437), a randomised controlled trial comparing symptom-driven budesonide-formoterol with maintenance budesonide plus as-needed terbutaline completed a survey on treatment preferences, satisfaction, beliefs and experience at their final study visit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In adults with mild asthma, a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid with a fast-onset long-acting β-agonist (LABA) used as reliever monotherapy reduces severe exacerbations compared with short-acting β-agonist (SABA) reliever therapy. We investigated the efficacy of combination budesonide-formoterol reliever therapy compared with maintenance budesonide plus as-needed terbutaline.
Methods: We did a 52-week, open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial at 15 primary care or hospital-based clinical trials units and primary care practices in New Zealand.
Objective: We investigated the potential feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of a nutritional intervention that may alter human gut microbiota and support immune defence against respiratory tract infection in adults (Proposed Study).
Methods: In total, 125 healthy adults aged 18-64 participated in a 6-month study that measured antibody response to the seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine. We assessed completion rates, procedure adherence rates and the influence of possible exclusion criteria on potential recruitment into the Proposed Study.