Treatable Traits of Severe Asthma

Severe or uncontrolled asthma is a complex heterogeneous disease, in which patients may exhibit different types of airway inflammation and often accompany multiple comorbidities and risk factors. Identifying potential modifiable factors that influence prognosis, i.e., "treatable traits," and targeting these traits for individualized, bundled management of patients may help improve the quality of life of asthma patients and enhance asthma control levels. This project aims to investigate the distribution of treatable traits in uncontrolled asthma patients in Beijing by conducting pulmonary function tests, exhaled nitric oxide tests, blood tests, allergen IgE tests, and chest CT scans, as well as detailed questionnaires, on patients from three tertiary hospitals in Beijing. The project will also assess the impact of treatable traits on the quality of life or asthma control levels of uncontrolled asthma patients in a multidimensional manner. Furthermore, the project will select severe asthma patients and establish an individualized, bundled management model based on the treatable traits of severe asthma, through multidisciplinary consultations and shared decision-making with patients. A randomized, parallel-group clinical trial will then be conducted for six months to confirm whether this management model is superior to conventional management in improving the quality of life or asthma control levels of severe asthma patients. The implementation of this project will establish a new model of individualized management for severe asthma based on treatable traits, thereby improving the management level of severe asthma.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Inclusion Criteria

* Must be at least 18 years old and have resided in Beijing for at least 6 months.
* Must meet the diagnostic criteria for asthma as outlined in the 2023 GINA guidelines, have written evidence of variable airflow limitation, and have been receiving asthma treatment for at least 6 months.
* Must meet one or both of the following criteria as defined in the 2023 GINA guidelines for uncontrolled asthma: poor symptom control (defined as an Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ-5) score of 0.75 or higher); frequent acute exacerbations (≥2 per year) requiring oral corticosteroids, or severe acute exacerbations (≥1 per year) requiring emergency or hospitalization.
* Willing to undergo a multidisciplinary, multi-dimensional evaluation and sign an informed consent form.
* Must meet the criteria for severe asthma as outlined in the 2023 GINA guidelines

Exclusion Criteria

* Use macrolides within 4 weeks of the screening period
* Use anti-IgE, anti-IL-5, or anti-IL-5R therapy within 4 weeks of the screening period
* Use inhaled ICS + LABA + long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) within 4 weeks of the screening period
* Be allergic to macrolides
* Have a QTc interval prolongation of \>480ms
* Take a medication that interacts with azithromycin to prolong the QTc interval or cause existing ECG abnormalities, which may lead to arrhythmias.

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