Patients With asthma diagnoses they tend to downplay their condition and misuse oral corticosteroids. To bring out this not very comforting picture is the analysis of a survey on how patients interpret the diagnosis they have received and on what behaviors they adopt in everyday life. The results obtained suggest that there is a problem of awareness that doctors should remedy, also to limit the abuse of oral corticosteroids.
In line with the recommendations of the Global Initiative on Asthma (GINA), the severity of asthma is classified according to the intensity of treatment needed to control the disease. Even when it is mild, asthma can still be exacerbated and, although rarely, fatal attacks can occur. Mild is therefore not a synonym for irrelevant or harmless. Some studies have suggested that it is possible in some cases that insufficient asthma control is caused by patients’ underestimation of the severity of one’s condition and subsequent inadequate treatment.
The Italian Society of Allergology, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (SIAAIC) commissioned a survey, conducted by DOXA Marketing Advice, on a sample of patients who had been diagnosed with asthma. Participants were given a questionnaire developed by a panel of SIAAIC experts that consisted of 25 multiple-choice questions on diagnosis, symptoms, comorbidity, treatment strategy and quality of life.
Of the 370 subjects contacted, 308 decided to participate in the survey.The sample included men and women equally and was representative of all geographical areas of our country. 16.2% of participants were excluded from the analysis because they said they had received a diagnosis of severe asthma, while cases in which the patient reported suffering from mild asthma were taken into account. According to respondents, the diagnosis was made by a pulmonologist (45% of cases), a general practitioner (31%), an allergist (24%) or another specialist (1%). Half of the patients had asthma for more than 10 years, 21% for 5-10 years and 29% for less than 5 years. One in five subjects (22%) reported experiencing severe clinical manifestations. 61% often suffered from dry cough, 49% wheezing, 42% chest tightness and 40% wheezing. In several cases, more than one symptom was present. 52% of respondents said they had more than one exacerbation per year, 24% more than two.A significant percentage (7%) of patients said they went to the emergency room at least once a year for an asthma attack. 72% of the sample was not satisfied with their quality of life. Only 28% of respondents said they consistently adhered to the doctor’s indications in terms of therapy, while 72% did so intermittently. 22% took oral corticosteroids intermittently.
«Our results dramatically underline patients’ lack of awareness of the true severity of the disease, described as «mild asthma» despite the presence of acute symptoms and the need for emergency medication, as reported by the patients themselves – comment the authors of the analysis in the article published in the journal Expert Review in Respiratory Medicine – This type of underestimate, In other words, the lack of a realistic perception of the relevance and severity of the disease reinforces patients’ belief that their own asthma management is an optimal strategy.This attitude may actually increase the risk of asthma-related fatalities, especially among young people.»
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Source — https://www.univadis.it/viewarticle/asma-una-patologia-incompresa-2023a10000sn