Asthma control in adult patients treated with a combination of inhaled corticosteroids and long‑acting β2‑agonists: a prospective observational study

INTRODUCTION    Asthma is a highly prevalent disease that often requires maintenance therapy. Combined inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long‑acting β2‑agonist (LABA) inhalers are one of the available maintenance treatment options.
OBJECTIVES    This prospective observational study aimed to assess asthma control in patients treated with ICS/LABA inhalers and to identify factors related to optimal asthma control.
PATIENTS AND METHODS    The study included 5789 asthmatic patients from Poland, treated with one of the following ICS/LABA inhalers at clinically appropriate doses: beclomethasone/formoterol, fluticasone/salmeterol, or budesonide/formoterol. The follow‑up lasted 6 months (4 visits in total). The outcomes were physician-reported and patient‑reported asthma control and occurrence of adverse drug reactions. A retrospective logistic regression analysis was performed to identify a potential association between age, obesity, and smoking and the level of disease control.
RESULTS    A total of 4469 patients completed the study. Throughout the study period, the rate of patient‑reported control of asthma increased from 24.8% to 67.7%, while physician‑reported control increased from 22.6% to 66.4%. The incidence of exacerbations decreased from 23.4% to 1.9%. Less than 0.1% of the patients reported adverse drug reactions. Age, obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2), and smoking were confirmed as factors negatively affecting disease control, with combined ICS/LABA inhalers potentially reducing their effect.
CONCLUSION    Our results confirm the efficacy and safety of combined ICS/LABA inhalers in a real‑life clinical setting. They also corroborate the finding that obesity, older age, and smoking are risk factors for poor asthma control.