Symptom perception and asthma control |
| |
Authors: | Giorgio Ciprandi Irene Schiavetti Fabio LM Ricciardolo |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Department of Medicine, IRCCS - Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy;2. Health Science Department, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy;3. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Division of Respiratory Disease, University of Torino, Turin, Italy |
| |
Abstract: | Objectives: Asthma control is the goal of asthma management. The perception of asthma symptoms represents a cornerstone aspect in this issue. The visual analogue scale (VAS) has been proposed as a useful tool for assessing respiratory symptoms perception. The present cross-sectional real-life study investigated whether VAS assessment of asthma symptoms perception could predict asthma control level. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a total of 370 (153 males, mean age 39.9 years) patients with asthma. Perception of asthma symptoms was assessed by VAS; clinical examination, lung function, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurement, Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale questionnaires were also evaluated. Results: Asthma was well controlled in 47% of patients. Considering most of the evaluated parameters, there were significant differences among patients with well-controlled, partly controlled and uncontrolled asthma. VAS values were significantly (p < 0.001) different considering the asthma control level. VAS score were significantly related with ACT scores (p < 0.001). A VAS <6 was able to reliably predict uncontrolled asthma (area under the curve: 0.74; odds ratio: 5.16). Conclusion: The present real-life study demonstrates that asthma symptoms assessment by VAS might be useful for approximately predicting uncontrolled asthma in particular conditions, such as at home or at the general practitioner’s office. |
| |
Keywords: | Asthma asthma control visual analogue scale respiratory symptoms lung function |
|
|