Abstract
Background: While the majority of hospital treated asthmatics in China have moderate to severe disease, the burden of mild asthma is not well characterised. Mild asthma is estimated to account for up to 75% of asthmatics.
Aim: This research reports on the disease burden for mild asthma patients.
Methods: Data were analysed for mild asthma patients (prescribed GINA treatment step 1 or 2) collected via the 2015 Adelphi China asthma survey. Tertiaryhospital physicians completed a patient form for 5 consecutive asthma patients recording clinical characteristics. The same patient was invited to complete a questionnaire which included the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale.
Results: 229 asthmatics (mean age 42.9) were prescribed rescue-only medication (25.3%), low-dose ICS (16.2%), LTRA (38.0%), xanthine (20.5%), with concomitant usage of anti-tussive (47.6%) and mucolytic agents (21.4%). Despite the majority of patients (73.5%) being categorised as partly controlled according to GINA, 75% were reported by physicians as well or completely controlled. Multiple symptoms were reported by physicians and patients including breathlessness and cough. Night-time asthma symptoms were reported by 93.2% of patients. In the previous 12 months, 17% of patients visited the emergency department due to an exacerbation of whom 82.1% were on GINA step 2 treatment. 46.9% of GINA step 2 patients had low adherence. Overall work impairment and activity impairment was 27.2% and 34.4% respectively.
Conclusions: Despite the majority of patients being classified as well or completely controlled by physicians, mild asthmatics remain highly symptomatic and uncontrolled. Around 84% of mild patients may be sub-optimally treated on non-steroidal and short-acting only medications.
- Copyright ©the authors 2016