The health and economic burden of breathlessness, Australia, 2019: a national survey.

Objective: To examine the impact of breathlessness on quality of life, health care use, productivity loss, and economic costs in Australia.

Study Design: National internet-based survey of Australian adults drawn from a web-based survey panel (National Breathlessness Survey).

Participants, Setting: Australian adults (18 years or older), nationally representative by age group, gender, state of residence, and postcode-based socio-economic status (Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage quintile), 13-30 October 2019.

Prevalence and burden of difficult-to-treat and severe asthma in Australia: A national population survey.

Background And Objective: Most evidence about difficult-to-treat and severe asthma (DTTA) comes from clinical trials and registries. We aimed to identify people with DTTA from a large nationally representative asthma population and describe their characteristics and healthcare utilization compared with people whose asthma was not 'difficult-to-treat'.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Australians aged ≥18 years with current asthma from large web-based survey panels.

The carbon footprint of as-needed budesonide/formoterol in mild asthma: a analysis.

Introduction: The use of pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) and asthma exacerbations necessitating healthcare reviews contribute substantially to the global carbon footprint of healthcare. It is possible that a reduction in carbon footprint could be achieved by switching patients with mild asthma from salbutamol pMDI reliever-based therapy to inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol dry powder inhaler (DPI) reliever therapy, as recommended by the Global Initiative for Asthma.

Methods: This analysis included all 668 adult participants in the Novel START trial, who were randomised 1:1:1 to treatment with as-needed budesonide/formoterol DPI, as-needed salbutamol pMDI or maintenance budesonide DPI plus as-needed salbutamol pMDI.

Burden of Uncontrolled Severe Asthma With and Without Elevated Type-2 Inflammatory Biomarkers.

Background: Many patients with asthma have type-2 airway inflammation, identified by the presence of biomarkers, including history of allergy, high blood eosinophil (EOS) count, and high fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels.

Objective: To assess disease burden in relation to type-2 inflammatory biomarker status (history of allergy, blood EOS count, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide level) in patients with uncontrolled and controlled severe asthma in the NOVEL observational longiTudinal studY (NOVELTY) (NCT02760329).

Methods: Asthma diagnosis and severity were physician-reported.

Risk factors and clinical characteristics of breathlessness in Australian adults: Data from the BOLD Australia study.

Background: Breathlessness is a common symptom related to a significant health burden. However, the association of breathlessness with clinical characteristics, especially objective pulmonary test results is scarce. We aimed to identify the characteristics independently associated with breathlessness in Australian adults.

Respiratory Symptoms, Disease Burden, and Quality of Life in Australian Adults According to GOLD Spirometry Grades: Data from the BOLD Australia Study.

Purpose: Population data on the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often based on patient-reported diagnoses of COPD, emphysema or chronic bronchitis, without spirometry. We aimed to investigate the relationship between health burden, quality of life and severity of airway obstruction in Australian adults aged ≥40 years.

Methods: We used data from the BOLD Australia study, which included randomly selected adults aged ≥40 years from six study sites to reflect the sociodemographic and geographic diversity of the Australian population (n = 3522).

Prevalence, Diagnostic Utility and Associated Characteristics of Bronchodilator Responsiveness.

The prevalence and diagnostic utility of bronchodilator responsiveness (BDR) in a real-life setting is unclear. To explore this uncertainty in patients aged ⩾12 years with physician-assigned diagnoses of asthma, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or COPD in NOVELTY, a prospective cohort study in primary and secondary care in 18 countries. The proportion of patients with a positive BDR test in each diagnostic category was calculated using 2005 (ΔFEV or ΔFVC ⩾12% and ⩾200 ml) and 2021 (ΔFEV or ΔFVC >10% predicted) European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society criteria.

Clinical characteristics of adults with self-reported diagnosed asthma and/or COPD: data from the BOLD Australia Study.

Background: Diagnosis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the community is variable, often without spirometry. Some studies report that adults with both diagnostic labels (asthma+COPD) have worse health outcomes than those with asthma or COPD only, but data for Australian adults are limited. We investigated the relationship between clinical characteristics and self-reported diagnoses of asthma, COPD and both.

Symptom Burden, Health Status, and Productivity in Patients with Uncontrolled and Controlled Severe Asthma in NOVELTY.

Background: Few studies have quantified symptom burden, health status, and productivity in patients with uncontrolled and controlled severe asthma. Up-to-date, real-world, global evidence is needed.

Objective: To quantify symptom burden, health status, and productivity in patients with uncontrolled and controlled severe asthma using baseline data from the NOVEL observational longiTudinal studY (NOVELTY; NCT02760329).

Questions in Mild Asthma: An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement.

Patients with mild asthma are believed to represent the majority of patients with asthma. Disease-associated risks such as exacerbations, lung function decline, and death have been understudied in this patient population. There have been no prior efforts from major societies to describe research needs in mild asthma.

Cluster Analyses From the Real-World NOVELTY Study: Six Clusters Across the Asthma-COPD Spectrum.

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are complex diseases, the definitions of which overlap.

Objective: To investigate clustering of clinical/physiological features and readily available biomarkers in patients with physician-assigned diagnoses of asthma and/or COPD in the NOVEL observational longiTudinal studY (NOVELTY; NCT02760329).

Methods: Two approaches were taken to variable selection using baseline data: approach A was data-driven, hypothesis-free and used the Pearson dissimilarity matrix; approach B used an unsupervised Random Forest guided by clinical input.

Can we predict who will benefit most from biologics in severe asthma? A post-hoc analysis of two phase 3 trials.

Background: Individualized prediction of treatment response may improve the value proposition of advanced treatment options in severe asthma. This study aimed to investigate the combined capacity of patient characteristics in predicting treatment response to mepolizumab in patients with severe asthma.

Methods: Patient-level data were pooled from two multinational phase 3 trials of mepolizumab in severe eosinophilic asthma.

Safety and Effectiveness of As-Needed Formoterol in Asthma Patients Taking Inhaled Corticosteroid (ICS)-Formoterol or ICS-Salmeterol Maintenance Therapy.

Background: As-needed low-dose inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-formoterol reliever is recommended in patients with asthma prescribed maintenance ICS-formoterol. Clinicians often ask whether ICS-formoterol reliever can be used with other maintenance ICS-long-acting β-agonists.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of as-needed formoterol in patients taking maintenance ICS-formoterol or ICS-salmeterol from the RELIEF study.

Chronic Airways Assessment Test: psychometric properties in patients with asthma and/or COPD.

Background: No short patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments assess overall health status across different obstructive lung diseases. Thus, the wording of the introduction to the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Assessment Test (CAT) was modified to permit use in asthma and/or COPD. This tool is called the Chronic Airways Assessment Test (CAAT).

Key recommendations for primary care from the 2022 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) update.

The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) was established in 1993 by the World Health Organization and the US National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to improve asthma awareness, prevention and management worldwide. GINA develops and publishes evidence-based, annually updated resources for clinicians. GINA guidance is adopted by national asthma guidelines in many countries, adapted to fit local healthcare systems, practices, and resource availability.

"As-Needed" Inhaled Corticosteroids for Patients With Asthma.

Prevention of severe asthma exacerbations is a primary management goal for asthma across the severity spectrum. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) decrease the risk of asthma exacerbations, but patient adherence to ICS-containing medications as a daily maintenance therapy is poor, and many patients overuse short-acting beta-agonist relievers; both are associated with increased risk of severe exacerbations and death. Airway inflammation also varies over time, influenced by exposures such as viral infections and allergen.

Contribution of obesity to breathlessness in a large nationally representative sample of Australian adults.

Background And Objective: Breathlessness is prevalent and associated with medical consequences. Obesity is related to breathlessness. However, the magnitude of its contribution has not been clearly documented.